Posted by Virus Bulletin on Nov 27, 2012
Regular comparative tests will show which products offer best protection from malicious web traffic.
Just as security companies can't afford to neglect the major infection vector the web has become in recent years, those testing security solutions can't afford to neglect web security solutions. It was with this in mind that Virus Bulletin began development of the VBWeb comparative tests - focusing on web filters - which are now ready to be put into practice.
It wasn't that long ago that I saw security experts give advice on how to detect a phishing site. The implicit message was that it was somehow alright to click on links in phishing emails, as long as you didn't enter your details on a fake site.
Today, however, by the time you have clicked on a link, it may already be too late. Many apparent phishing emails link to exploit kits such as 'Blackhole' that can choose from a pallet of exploits to push malware onto the user's machine. And even those who do not click links in emails may still be tricked by a direct message sent from a friend's compromised social networking account, or simply fall victim to a compromised site.
Among the billions of legitimate websites there are millions that are malicious in one way or another, and millions of others that are best avoided, at least in a corporate environment. Thankfully, there are a plethora of solutions that aim to make web surfing a pleasant and safe experience by closing the door to malicious traffic. But are they any good? And which ones are the best?
We are excited to announce that we will be running regular comparative tests of web filters, adding the VBWeb tests to our testing portfolio alongside the VB100 anti-malware and VBspam anti-spam tests.
After a lot of internal and external discussion and the odd presentation, we are now ready to share our plans in more detail with the developers of web security solutions and other experts.
In particular, we are asking those who are interested in participating in a trial run to contact Martijn Grooten ([email protected]). We hope to begin the full official tests in early 2013.
Posted on 27 November 2012 by Martijn Grooten
