How Good Is Antivirus Software At Protecting Itself? 32 Products Tested:

For the third time now, the experts at AV-TEST examined a large number of the security software applications on the market in terms of how well they protect themselves.

The focus was on file protection with ASLR & DEP, which developers can easily use – or forget. AV-Test took 19 consumer products and 13 business solutions and put them under the microscope.

They also researched if the distribution of demo versions use secure channels so that attackers cannot distribute any manipulated software packages.

The Upshot

"Of all companies, security software manufacturers must utilize all opportunities to make their products secure. After all, they have a role model function in the industry. Some manufacturers do indeed live up to this: Bitdefender, ESET and Kaspersky Lab use 100 percent ASLR & DEP, sign all PE files with valid certificates and offer secure downloads."

"For many suppliers, all that is missing is a bit of extra effort and they would be in perfect shape as well. This should not and most certainly will not be any problem for these manufacturers. AV-TEST will evaluate this again in a future test soon to follow." Here is the whole post at AV-test, anda while we are talking about AV...

Bad News: Your Antivirus Detection Rates Have Dramatically Declined In 12 Months

Here is a recent blog post that shows a dramatic decline in proactive AV detection rates. "We all had the nagging suspicion that antivirus is not cutting it anymore, but the following numbers confirm your intuition. I have not seen more powerful ammo for IT security budget to transform your employees into an effective "last line of defense": a human firewall."

The above makes a very strong case for a brand new look at your last line of defense, your users.

It makes all the sense in the world to transform them into a human firewall ASAP, and keep them on their toes with security top of mind. Step them through new-school security awareness training which combines on-demand interactive, engaging web-based training with frequent simulated phishing attacks right in their inbox. This is a very effective approach, with the best ROI of practically any IT security tool. We have just received a Forrester Total Economic Impact report that shows an ROI of less than a month.

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