Security Product Testers, Vendors and the Media Join Forces to Strengthen the Quality of Security Software Testing
OXFORD, England – Nov. 10, 2008 – Members of the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization
(AMTSO) have published guidelines that, for the first time, set recognized standards for testing security software. The
standards have been developed and agreed to by more than 40 security experts, product testers and members of the media
from around the world. The creation and publication of these standards is a critical first step in fulfilling AMTSO’s mission to
improve the testing of anti-malware products.
Members of AMTSO have also produced a comprehensive set of best practices for dynamic testing of security software. This
document will help software testers create more accurate and reliable tests. Both documents (“The Fundamental Principles of
Testing”, and “Best Practices for Dynamic Testing”) are available to download from www.amtso.org.
The approval of these standards and guidelines is a significant step for the security industry as a whole, since it now has a
common reference for high quality standards of testing. Members of AMTSO believe that the new, unified approach will
ultimately benefit computer users who use product reviews and other test results to help choose internet security software.
Adoption of the standards by testers and publications will be voluntary, and AMTSO plans to eventually provide public
feedback on the level of compliance with such standards, and to help assess the quality of published product reviews.
AMTSO is an industry-wide, international collaboration of leading vendors of security software, software testers and media
representatives. Its formation has been driven by concern about the increasing mismatch between what anti-malware
technologies do to protect users and the ways in which product tests measure this protection.
As anti-malware solutions become more complex, many existing tests are unable to evaluate product effectiveness properly,
resulting in product reviews that are sometimes incomplete, inaccurate and misleading. The adoption of standards and
guidelines is the first stage in an initiative in which members of the industry are collaborating with testers, reviewers and the
media in the production of advice that will help customers make better-informed buying decisions.
About the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO)
AMTSO is dedicated to helping improve the objectivity, quality and relevance of anti-malware technology testing. AMTSO
membership is open to industry-wide academics, reviewers, testers and vendors.
Additional information regarding the organization, including charter documents, membership and educational materials are
available on the AMTSO website at www.amtso.org.