San Francisco, California – September 6, 2016 – The Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO) is announcing a call for public participation in developing standards for testing anti-malware products and solutions. These standards will be the basis for AMTSO’s certification program, which is anticipated to launch in the second calendar quarter of 2017.
Anti-malware testing is the critical link between the vendor and end user. If done well, testing can independently verify whether anti-malware solutions work as vendors claim by showing which solutions are most effective at protection. However, improper testing can create misleading results, leading customers to adopt inadequate protection that risks their privacy and security. Dennis Batchelder, General Manager of AMTSO, said, “This is a great opportunity for people outside of AMTSO and even outside of our industry to get involved and help us get our testing standards right. We’d love to see participation from interested individuals, consumer advocates, academics, and publications.”
The Standards Working Group (SWG) will work in cooperation with AMTSO’s membership and other industry participants, and will meet weekly starting September 14, 2016. The SWG will hold an in-person meeting on October 24, 2016, during the AMTSO Member Meeting in Málaga, Spain. Participants may also attend this meeting by conference call. For information on this meeting, please send an email to [email protected].
The first draft of AMTSO’s testing standards will be available for public review and comment on AMTSO’s website on September 12, 2016. This draft will be updated regularly and comments are invited from all interested parties. AMTSO members will vote on initiating a pilot program to test the standards at the October member meeting, and will consider final approval of the standards and certification program in the second calendar quarter of 2017.
Those interested in joining the SWG or who would like more information, please send an email. Participation is open to both AMTSO members and the general public.
About the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO)
AMTSO is a California-based non-profit mutual benefit corporation founded in 2008. AMTSO’s mission is to improve business conditions related to the development, use, testing and rating of anti-malware solutions. 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.
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