Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization

Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO) is an international non-profit organization set up in 2008[1] to address a perceived need for improvement in the quality, relevance and objectivity of anti-malware testing methodologies.

Stated objectives

According to the AMTSO web site, the organization's charter lists the following objectives:

  • Providing a forum for discussions related to the testing of anti-malware and related products.
  • Developing and publicizing objective standards and best practices for testing of anti-malware and related products.
  • Promoting education and awareness of issues related to the testing of anti-malware and related products.
  • Providing tools and resources to aid standards-based testing methodologies.

Organization

Until 2012 AMTSO was administered by an elected and unpaid Board of Directors, with strategic and other input from an Advisory Board, and six committees to handle specific operations such as membership, fees, PR and so on. Subsequently, a major infrastructural change took place, introducing an executive team with a CEO, CTO, CFO and VPs of Marketing and Strategy[2] in addition to the already existing Board.

Board of Directors

As of 2023 the Board of Directors constitutes 50% vendor, 50% tester membership and comprises the following:[3]

Membership[4]

While it grew out of discussions between security vendors and security product testing organizations, membership of AMTSO is also open to academics, reviewers, publications,[5] and does include some individual members.[6] However, the high cost of full membership generally discourages individual members and small organizations from joining, and in early 2011, the organization offered a much cheaper subscription rate[7] that didn't, however, offer full voting rights.[8] AMTSO currently offers a two-tier membership model: entity members get full benefits of membership, while individual members get the same benefits apart from the right to vote.[9]

Security tester members have included:

  • AV-Comparatives*
  • AV-Test*
  • Dennis Technology Labs (no longer operating)
  • ICSA Labs* (no longer operating)
  • MRG Effitas
  • NSS Labs (no longer operating)
  • SDK Labs*
  • SE Labs*
  • SecureIQLab
  • Testing Ground Labs
  • Virus Bulletin*
  • West Coast Labs* (no longer operating)

* Each of these labs is accepted by Microsoft as an "industry standard organization" for the purposes of independent certification.[10]

Membership controversy

Some members of the wider security community and even testers have raised issue with the organization's membership,[11] which includes a preponderance of security vendors.[12] This has led to some tester members leaving and then sometimes rejoining the organization.

Tester member NSS Labs sued AMTSO, as well as CrowdStrike, ESET and Symantec, in an anti-trust case that was later dismissed.[13] Shortly thereafter NSS Labs ceased operation.[14]

Work

The organization has created some potentially useful resources for testers, including a page that flags relevant papers and other resources outside AMTSO,[15] and a repository of guidelines documents for the benefit of aspiring testers[16] on a wide range of topics. Another popular freely available resource is the Security Features Check, which attempts to download a faux malicious file to a desktop or Android device. This is a simple test to ensure that basic anti-malware standards are implemented on the test device.[17]

It also organizes workshops three times a year: discussion and generation of guidelines documents are a major by-product of these sessions.

References
  1. "Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization – Risk Management with Stuart King and Duncan Hart". www.computerweekly.com.
  2. "AMTSO - About Us". Archived from the original on 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  3. "AMTSO Membership Page".
  4. "AMTSO Membership List".
  5. "AMTSO". www.amtso.org.
  6. "Members". Archived from the original on 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  7. "Pr-20101025 - AMTSO Widens the Conversation of Anti-Malware Testing with New Subscription Option". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  8. "AMTSO - Subscription - Terms and Conditions". Archived from the original on 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  9. "Joining AMTSO » AMTSO". amtso.org.
  10. "Microsoft Virus Initiative".
  11. "Anti-Malware Testing - Industry Insight | SecurityWeek.Com". Archived from the original on 2011-12-17. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  12. "AMTSO: a serious attempt to clean up anti-malware testing; or just a great big con?". 15 June 2010.
  13. "Ruling Dismisses Antitrust Claims Against AMTSO".
  14. "NSS Labs ceases operations amid financial turmoil".
  15. "Related Resources". Archived from the original on 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  16. "AMTSO - Documents". Archived from the original on 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  17. Halfacre, John (15 March 2016). "Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization". RemoveMalware.net. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
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