Christian Mairoll

AVLab is an independent security software testing group based in Poland. The organization recently released a report of the best recommended paid antivirus suites of 2019, and we’re pleased to announce that Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home made it on the list! Why does AVLab recommend Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home? As AVLab noted in its report, there are so many security suites on the market that it can be difficult to know which ones are worthy of your consideration. To help make the decision a little easier, AVLab compiled a list of recommended products based on the results of internal and external tests, as well as the professional experiences of AVLab analysts. According to the report, Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home earned a spot on the list thanks to its excellent protection capabilities that have been proven time and time again. “In the tests of security products for small and medium-sized enterprises and individual users, Emsisoft software has been repeatedly awarded for excellent behavioral protection in real time and impeccable performance of the products.” The authors went on to say that Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home is particularly strong when it comes to ransomware, and was one of the first products to be able to block WannaCry without relying on signatures. The report also made note of the new Emsisoft Browser Security extension and highlighted its privacy-conscious approach to protection. “The Emsisoft software has recently received the Emsisoft Browser Security extension for browsers that puts privacy first. Instead of uploading the full URL address of each website to the cloud for verification, it calculates a hash of the website, and then it compares patterns with threats matching the calculated hash function. This means that Emsisoft doesn’t log any details about browsing activity and oversteps when it comes to privacy.” AVLab awards Emsisoft BEST++ award for online banking protection As mentioned above, AVLab’s recommendations are partly based on the organization’s internal tests. One of these recent tests was focused on banking attacks. It was designed to measure how effectively a security product can stop cybercriminals from stealing your login credentials and gaining access to your bank account. We recommend flawless and easy to use Emsisoft software to all who want to use the install-and-forget type of suite… How AVLab carried out the test The test was carefully designed to simulate a dozen different types of attacks that are capable of stealing important data entered into a browser or data stored on a machine running Windows 10. The test involved installing each security product on a previously prepared image of Windows 10 and downloading malware to the system through Chrome from a temporary server. Security products were first tested using default setting and again using modified settings tweaked to maximize protection. All malware samples used in the test were zero-day threats, allowing analysts to see how the products would cope when exposed to new and unfamiliar attacks. Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home earns BEST++ award We’re proud to announce that Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home performed well in the tough testing conditions and was consequently awarded the BEST++ award. “A characteristic feature of Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home is behavior blocker that monitors all active applications in real time for dangerous indicators,” wrote the authors of the report. “It allows detecting new trojans, ransomware, spyware, backdoors, and other dangerous 0-day threats. The technology is based on a proactive method, so it doesn’t need updated signatures.” About AVLab AVLab is an independent organization based in Poland. The organization specializes in testing the capabilities of security products in conditions that are designed to simulate real-world attacks. AVLab regularly releases detailed reports that offer users valuable insight into the effectiveness of many security products available on the market. Click here for the full list of recommended products, click here to read more about the online banking protection test, or click here to check out some of the other awards we’ve won in the past. Have a good (malware-free) day! The post Emsisoft Anti-Malware named one of AVLab’s top recommended paid antivirus suites of 2019 appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

In mid-2017, we began hatching plans that would future-proof Emsisoft Anti-Malware’s protection capabilities for the decade ahead. We saw that the era of desktop-only software was coming to an end, so we decided to bring our software ‘online’ and connect to it the cloud (our own servers). The evolution of Emsisoft Anti-Malware Some may call in ‘NextGen Antivirus’; we just call it the natural evolution of our proven, long-term tested technology. By turning Emsisoft Anti-Malware into a true SaaS (Software as a Service) product, we’ll be able to offer a product that is significantly easier to install and manage. In addition, it allows us to lay the foundations for new and innovative protection technology that will reliably keep your devices safe from the bad guys in the years to come. One example of this technology is machine learning. We’ve been using AI for quite some time now to help us develop the most effective detection patterns, and we’re going to be incorporating even more powerful technology into our software in the near future. Stay tuned for more updates! Introducing the Emsisoft Cloud Console With this March release, we’d like to introduce the Emsisoft Cloud Console, a new web management platform that allows you to control your malware protection software from any location using any device you happen to have on hand. The Emsisoft Cloud Console is part of MyEmsisoft. Log in with your Emsisoft user account and have a look around! Emsisoft Cloud Console – Full remote management of Emsisoft Anti-Malware Emsisoft Cloud Console Beta highlights Workspaces – We are introducing the concept of workspaces. These are logical entities that manage a number of devices with Emsisoft protection software installed (e.g. your organization or your home group). You can invite multiple users with different roles/permissions to join a workspace (e.g. ask your trusted system administrator to check your configuration remotely). Quick setup – Installing and connecting a new instance of Emsisoft Anti-Malware to the Cloud Console is as easy as hitting a download button from within MyEmsisoft or inviting new users by email. The provided custom installer connects your devices directly with your workspace. No more fiddling with license keys and activation. Full remote management – View and edit all Emsisoft Anti-Malware settings and local user permissions centrally from your console, with custom settings for different departments. Mobile app – As the Emsisoft Cloud Console is part of the MyEmsisoft portal, it can be pinned to your app launcher with just a tap. The app works on all major platforms including Windows, Android and iOS. Emsisoft Cloud Console – Settings policies for groups of devices How to get started with Emsisoft Cloud Console Please log in at MyEmsisoft to see the new ‘WORKSPACES’ menu item on the left. Simply follow the instructions to migrate your personal licenses and devices to a new workspace. Let us know what you think at [email protected] We are thankful for any input, be it positive or negative (but don’t be too harsh with our developers, please. :) ) Note that the Emsisoft Cloud Console is still in Beta testing stage, which means unexpected errors may occur and some things may not be completely finished or fully translated yet. New functionality will be added every month. Please check out our Beta Testing Instructions and the User Guide for details on all features. All 2019.3 improvements in a nutshell Emsisoft Anti-Malware New Emsisoft Cloud Console Beta. Improved device/license mapping. Now supports multiple computers with the same name on the same license. Several minor tweaks and fixes. How to obtain the new version As always, so long as you have auto-updates enabled in the software, you will receive the latest version automatically during your regularly scheduled updates, which are hourly by default. New users, please download the full installer from our product pages. Note to Enterprise users: If you have chosen to receive “Delayed” updates in the Update settings for your clients, they will receive the new software version no earlier than 30 days after the regular “Stable” availability. This gives you time to perform internal compatibility tests before a new version gets rolled out to your clients automatically. Have a great and well-protected day! The post New in 2019.3: Public Beta of Emsisoft Cloud Console available now appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

Mobile antivirus apps have come under close scrutiny in recent years, thanks, in no small part, to bogus security apps like Virus Shield that don’t actually do anything. Dozens of other security apps have been identified as trojans or been found to provide ineffective protection. Of course, this doesn’t mean that all antivirus apps are worthless, but it does mean that consumers need to be very cautious of which applications they entrust to protect their mobile devices. To help shed some light on the matter, AV-Comparatives recently released the results of its Android Test 2019, which analyzed the protection capabilities of 250 Android security apps. Test methodology The tests were performed in January 2019 and were mostly conducted on Samsung Galaxy S9 devices running Android 9.0. Due to compatibility issues, some apps were tested on Nexus 5 devices running Android 6.01. The apps were then subjected to 2,000 of the most common Android malware threats of 2018 using an automated Android testing framework that simulates real-world conditions. If the antivirus app detected and blocked the malicious sample, the sample was considered “detected”, the test case was finished and the device was reset to a clean state. Researchers also performed a basic false positive test using 100 clean and popular apps taken from the Google Play Store. Emsisoft Mobile Security detects 100% mobile malware samples We’re happy to report that Emsisoft Mobile Security aced the test, detecting 100 percent of the malware samples and generating zero false positives along the way. Unfortunately, not all the apps achieved such good results. In fact, more than half (138) of the tested apps detected less than 30 percent of the malware samples or had a high false alarm rate. These results highlight the huge difference in quality when it comes to mobile antivirus apps. It also serves as a reminder for users to be mindful of what they install on their mobile devices and the security apps they use to protect their data. Read the full report here or head to our Reviews & Awards page to check out some of the other awards we’ve won in the past. Have a great (malware-free) day! About AV-Comparatives Founded in 1999, AV-Comparatives is an independent organization that focuses on testing the protection capabilities of antivirus products and mobile security solutions. The group regularly releases reports that offer valuable insight into the effectiveness of various consumer security products. The post Emsisoft Mobile Security scores top marks in AV-Comparatives’ Android Test 2019 appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

Our research team has uncovered a new ransomware campaign we nicknamed BigBobRoss that seems to target Comcast Business users. Fortunately, our security experts were able to identify a flaw within the ransomware’s code that can be used to decrypt encrypted files without paying the ransom. Download the BigBobRoss Decrypter here. Do not pay the ransom! Technical details BigBobRoss is a ransomware written in C++ using QT. It uses AES-128 ECB to encrypt files, and adds the extension “.obfuscated”. Some variants also prepend the victim ID to the filename. The ransom note “Read Me.txt” asks the victim to contact “[email protected]”. The ransom note contains the following text: Hello, dear friend! ================================================= 1- [All your files have been ENCRYPTED!] Your files are NOT damaged! Your files are modified only. The only way to decrypt your files is to receive the decryption program. your files can not be decrypted without the special program we made it for your computer. ================================================= 2- [ HOW TO RETURN FILES? ] To receive the decryption program Write to our email “[email protected]” and tell us your unique ID ================================================= 3- [ FREE DECRYPTION! ] Free decryption as guarantee. We guarantee the receipt of the decryption program after payment. To believe, you can give us 1 file that must be less than 1MB and we decrypt it for free. File should not be important to you! databases, backups, large excel sheets, etc. ================================================= 4- [ Instruction ] the easiest way to buy bitcoins is LocalBitcoins site. you have to register, click “buy bitcoins” and select the seller by payment method and price. https://localbitcoins.com/buy_bitcoins ================================================= CAUTION! please do not change the name of files or file extension if your files are important to you! Your unique ID : [ID] To use the decrypter, you will require one of the ransom notes left by the malware. How to use the Emsisoft BigBobRoss Decrypter Download the Emsisoft BigBobRoss Decrypter. Run the executable and confirm the license agreement when asked. Click “Browse” and select the ransom note file on your computer. (Brute Force decryption is not required for this ransomware). Click “Start” to decrypt your files. Note that this may take a while. Finished! The post Emsisoft releases a free decrypter for BigBobRoss Ransomware appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

This month’s release comes with mostly minor visible improvements such as improved support of high DPI displays, as our developers spent most of their time on preparing the next major step in Emsisoft’s protection software development. We are planning on launching the public beta testing program for our new Cloud Console within the next couple of weeks. In a nutshell: Emsisoft Cloud Console allows users to remote-manage their Emsisoft protection software from a centralized management panel/web app. The product aims to simplify and streamline typical operational processes of business users, Emsisoft partners and other IT professionals. More details about Emsisoft Cloud Console will be revealed soon at the launch of the beta. Stay tuned! All 2019.2 improvements in a nutshell Emsisoft Anti-Malware Improved support for high DPI displays. Preparations for Emsisoft Cloud Console. Several minor tweaks and fixes. How to obtain the new version As always, so long as you have auto-updates enabled in the software, you will receive the latest version automatically during your regularly scheduled updates, which are hourly by default. New users, please download the full installer from our product pages. Note to Enterprise users: If you have chosen to receive “Delayed” updates in the Update settings for your clients, they will receive the new software version no earlier than 30 days after the regular “Stable” availability. This gives you time to perform internal compatibility tests before a new version gets rolled out to your clients automatically. Have a great and well-protected day! The post New in 2019.2: Preparing for a big leap appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

Virus Bulletin is an independent security software certification body headquartered in the UK. The group has released the results of the first VB100 certification tests for 2019 and we’re happy to report that Emsisoft Anti-Malware achieved a perfect score across every category! What’s involved with the VB100 certification? The VB100 is a certification test that is designed to evaluate the standard of quality of antivirus software. Products that achieve VB100 certification can generally be trusted to detect most modern malware. In the latest tests, all security products were installed on physical computers or virtual machines with specifications similar to those you would find in a business environment. Each product was tested on two different systems, one running Windows 7, the other running Windows 10. Configured using default installation settings, the security products were then exposed to a few thousand malicious samples curated by various malware experts and research groups. The products also scanned a subset of 100,000 files from the clean sample set, a set of 400,000 non-malicious files harvested from popular software downloads available online. To earn VB100 certification, a security product must meet two conditions: Detect at least 99.95 percent of malicious samples. Generate no more than 0.01 percent false positives. Emsisoft Anti-Malware aces the test We’re delighted to report that Emsisoft Anti-Malware yet again nailed the test and achieved a perfect score. Our flagship software successfully detected 100 percent of the 2,914 malicious samples while generating zero false positives, which earned it VB100 certification! As always, we’re proud to see our software performing well in a test environment and we’ll continue to work on providing the best antivirus software possible! About Virus Bulletin Virus Bulletin is an independent testing and certification body based in the UK. The group’s VB100 tests have a rich history dating back 20 years. A product that has been awarded VB100 certification can be considered to have met a certain standard of quality in regard to malware detection. Click here to see the full report or here to check out some of the awards and certifications we’ve won in the past. Have a great (malware-free) day! The post Emsisoft Anti-Malware awarded VB100 in February 2019 tests appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

Stronger security marks the beginning of 2019 for Emsisoft. In early January we launched Emsisoft Browser Security, our privacy conscious Chrome and Firefox browser extension that blocks access to malicious websites that distribute malware, phishing attacks, and more. Complementing Emsisoft’s proven Surf Protection feature that works on the DNS level, Emsisoft Browser Security runs in your browser’s security context and therefore can check all parts of a website’s URL/address for additional security. In our latest release, we’re happy to announce the addition of the Microsoft Edge browser version of the browser extension! In this month’s release, we’re also featuring a new label in Emsisoft Anti-Malware that shows the status of Emsisoft Browser Security. You’ll find it in the ‘Protection’ menu under ‘Surf Protection’. Emsisoft Anti-Malware Surf Protection Settings When navigating to the ‘Surf Protection’ settings, you’ll also notice that we have consolidated its functionality slightly. For simplicity, we merged the categories Malware, Phishing, PUP and Privacy risks to two main groups of ‘Malicious‘ and ‘Unwanted‘ hosts. Installation of Emsisoft Browser Security Emsisoft Anti-Malware asks you to install the extension as you launch your browser: Emsisoft Anti-Malware asks to install Emsisoft Browser Security Additionally, you can obtain it from the extension stores: Get Emsisoft Browser Security for Chrome Get Emsisoft Browser Security for Firefox Get Emsisoft Browser Security for Edge (new) Users of alternative browsers please refer to our extended Emsisoft Browser Security User Guide for further information. All 2019.1 improvements in a nutshell Emsisoft Anti-Malware New Emsisoft Browser Security extension for Microsoft Edge. New status label for Emsisoft Browser Security in ‘Surf Protection’ settings. Improved support for multiple browser user profiles. Consolidated ‘Surf Protection’ host categories. Improved product activation procedures. Several minor tweaks and fixes. How to obtain the new version As always, so long as you have auto-updates enabled in the software, you will receive the latest version automatically during your regularly scheduled updates, which are hourly by default. New users, please download the full installer from our product pages. Note to Enterprise users: If you have chosen to receive “Delayed” updates in the Update settings for your clients, they will receive the new software version no earlier than 30 days after the regular “Stable” availability. This gives you time to perform internal compatibility tests before a new version gets rolled out to your clients automatically. Have a great and well-protected day! The post New in 2019.1: Improved web browsing protection appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

The browsers' extension stores manage these updates. We're always submitting the same version to both stores at the same time, but Chrome usually takes a couple of days to approve updates manually. Build .12 should get available for Chrome soon.

“A browser extension that blocks bad websites without compromising your privacy?” What sounds like an attempt to square the circle, actually can be done. Almost all browser extensions that aim to block harmful websites send each visited website to cloud servers that match the exact URL/address with a large database of known bad sites. That comes with the advantage of being able to filter sites very thoroughly on the URL level (different from DNS- or host-based filtering such as available in Emsisoft’s Surf Protection feature), but the big downside of that approach is that the creators of such extensions can basically see all the websites you’re visiting and track you throughout all your online activities. Our development team proves that things can be done in a better, more privacy-conscious way. Emsisoft Browser Security is a brand new extension, currently available for Chrome and Firefox, that not only blocks access to websites that distribute malware, but also prevents phishing attacks that try to steal your passwords. How it works: Instead of sending each full website URL to a cloud server for matching, it only sends a calculated hash value of the domain name of each newly visited site to our servers once and then receives a list of matching patterns that are applied locally on your computer. Those patterns are then kept for successive visits of pages on the same host/domain, which not only speeds up the matching significantly, but also means that Emsisoft doesn’t know any of the details of your browsing activity. Emsisoft Browser Security for Chrome blocked a malware site. Emsisoft Browser Security for Chrome toolbar popup. Installation of Emsisoft Browser Security Emsisoft Browser Security works independently of Emsisoft Anti-Malware and can be obtained free of charge from the extension stores: Get Emsisoft Browser Security for Chrome Get Emsisoft Browser Security for Firefox We’re working on making the extension available for Edge users too. Emsisoft Anti-Malware asks you to install the extension if it’s missing. All 2018.12 improvements in a nutshell Emsisoft Anti-Malware New Emsisoft Browser Security extension. Improved stability and compatibility. Improved vulnerability resilience. Improved product activation. Several minor tweaks and fixes. How to obtain the new version As always, so long as you have auto-updates enabled in the software, you will receive the latest version automatically during your regularly scheduled updates, which are hourly by default. New users, please download the full installer from our product pages. Note to Enterprise users: If you have chosen to receive “Delayed” updates in the Update settings for your clients, they will receive the new software version no earlier than 30 days after the regular “Stable” availability. This gives you time to perform internal compatibility tests before a new version gets rolled out to your clients automatically. Have a great and well-protected day! The post New in 2018.12: Safe web-browsing with Emsisoft Browser Security appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

Independent antivirus software testing group Virus Bulletin has released the results of its latest VB100 certification tests. We’re happy to announce that Emsisoft Anti-Malware has once again aced the tests and been awarded VB100 certification! Testing Virus Bulletin has been performing the VB100 tests for 20 years. Software that has been granted VB100 certification can be considered to have met a certain standard of quality in regard to malware detection. The December 2018 tests were performed on physical computers or virtual machines with specifications similar to those you would find in a business setting. The security products were installed on clean, dedicated instances of Windows 7 and Windows 10, before being exposed to a wide range of malicious and clean samples. The samples were taken from the following sets of malicious files: WildList set: A set of a few thousand well-vetted malicious files that researchers have seen recently in the wild. AMTSO RTTL set: A set of malware samples collected by experts and managed by the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization. The Diversity set: A set of malware samples collected by Virus Bulletin. Security products were exposed to a subset of 100,000 non-malicious files taken from a clean set of approximately 400,000 clean files taken from popular software downloads. To be awarded VB100 certification, a product had to detect at least 99.95 percent of all malicious samples and generate no more than 0.01 percent false positives. Emsisoft Anti-Malware passes VB100 certification with flying colors We’re delighted to report that Emsisoft Anti-Malware passed the latest round of testing with flying colors. Our flagship software detected 100 percent of the 3,091 malware samples used in testing and produced zero false positives, resulting in Emsisoft Anti-Malware being awarded VB100 certification. We’re always delighted to see our software performing well in test conditions. We’ll continue to do everything we can to provide Emsisoft customers with the best malware protection possible. To read the full report, click here. Have a great (malware-free) day! About Virus Bulletin Headquartered in the UK, Virus Bulletin is an independent certification body that provides consumers with key insights into the detection capabilities of antivirus software. A product that has been awarded VB100 certification can generally be trusted to be capable of identifying modern malware threats without producing excessive false positives. The post Emsisoft Anti-Malware awarded VB100 certification in December 2018 Virus Bulletin tests appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

Our development team spent the last month primarily on implementing minor improvements on the user interface. An improvement we’re particularly excited to share is the new login feature for license activation — instead of typing the rather cryptic license key, you now also have the option to simply log in with your Emsisoft user account to activate your license. All 2018.11 improvements in a nutshell Emsisoft Anti-Malware New login feature to activate licenses. Improved support for tab stops (keyboard-based navigation). Improved support for screen readers for the visually impaired. Improved stability and compatibility. Several minor tweaks and fixes. How to obtain the new version As always, so long as you have auto-updates enabled in the software, you will receive the latest version automatically during your regularly scheduled updates, which are hourly by default. New users, please download the full installer from our product pages. Note to Enterprise users: If you have chosen to receive “Delayed” updates in the Update settings for your clients, they will receive the new software version no earlier than 30 days after the regular “Stable” availability. This gives you time to perform internal compatibility tests before a new version gets rolled out to your clients automatically. Have a great and well-protected day! The post New in 2018.11: User interface improvements appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

Remote working is all the rage in 2018, with both startups and enterprises increasingly embracing the flexibility that comes with a location-independent workforce. In fact, about 2.9 percent of the total U.S. workforce works from home at least half the time, according to figures from FlexJobs. Of course, remote working hasn’t always been so popular. In fact, 15 years ago, it was practically unheard of. But that didn’t stop Emsisoft Founder and CEO Christian Mairoll from assembling a team of talent handpicked from around the planet to create the world’s first all-remote antivirus company back in 2003. Emsisoft continues to operate as a fully remote company to this day. In celebration of Emsisoft’s 15th anniversary, we sat down with Christian to pick his brains and find out what he’s learned about running an all-remote company over the past 15 years. We’re also running a special promotion: for the next 10 days, you can get a one-year license of Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home for just $15! Why did Emsisoft start out all-remote and why has it stayed that way? When I founded Emsisoft in 2003, it was just me in Austria and a software development partner in Germany. We quickly realized that we couldn’t do all the work by ourselves, so we decided to expand the team in order to continue to grow as a company. I personally never liked the idea of asking banks or investors for money as I wanted to maintain the highest level of independence. Due to our very limited income at the time, we didn’t have many options for hiring staff, and hiring in Europe or the U.S. was totally unthinkable from a financial perspective. Then we found a website called rentacoder.com (later acquired by freelancer.com), which allowed employers to post development projects that could be bid on publicly by freelance developers. Our first hire was a software developer from the middle of Siberia, Russia. He lived in a region where the maximum he could have earned locally was about $300 a month for a full-time role. Guess how excited he was when we offered him a salary that was multitudes higher (yet still a fraction of the cost of hiring a developer in Europe)? That initial hire helped us get the business off the ground without requiring any external funding. What was originally a financially driven necessity turned into a viable business concept that played an important part in our growth. Fast forward to today, and we are no longer limited to hiring in lower income regions (although we occasionally still do). Hiring from anywhere and everywhere allows us to access the best talent on the planet. How do you get good people without a face-to-face interview? I don’t think the process is much different from hiring face to face. First, we review applications to find candidates with skills that match our requirements. Next, we send the best candidates a short list of specific questions pertaining to their area of expertise. Those who provide the best answers are invited for an interview, which typically happens on Skype text chat. You might think that a lot of people’s personality gets lost in text chats, but I actually see that as an advantage. It helps me rate candidates more objectively based on their skills. Gender, age, race, beliefs, physical handicaps, or location – they play no role at all in my hiring process. There’s probably also some intuition at play. Whether an interview takes place over text or face to face, I think you can learn to read between the lines of what someone’s saying and get a sense of how they’ll fit into the team. I’m usually able to tell within just a few sentences if someone fits our team culture and is suitable for remote work in general. In most cases, it’s quite obvious if someone feels at home working remotely or expects old-school working environments. Have you met your employees in person? Of our 40 team members, I have only met seven in person so far. I haven’t met half of our top-level management team, yet I know I can trust them and see them as close friends, too. I hope we will be able to have a large team meeting at some point in the future. How does Emsisoft communicate? What tools do you use? We use a few different tools. Slack for one-on-one conversations and team meetings, a ticket system for project management, and email for when third parties are involved in conversations. We generally try to avoid phones and video conferencing, as these communication methods don’t provide logs for looking up information later, making them much more difficult to review for anyone who missed the meeting. I also consider them inefficient as they require your full attention for the whole time, unlike text-based communication where it’s possible to type out a quick reply in a different chat window without losing track of the meeting. Each of our teams (Lab, Product Development, Web Development, Testing, Support, Marketing, and Sales) has their own Slack channels where daily standups, weekly status updates and monthly strategy meetings are held. Anyone in the wider Emsisoft team can participate in the channels, and we encourage cross-department conversations to strengthen the bond between the teams. Guests from other teams are asked to not interfere while team meetings are ongoing, just like you would expect guests in an office building to be unobtrusive when entering a meeting room. How does being all-remote impact team dynamics? We are organized in smaller teams of 4-10 people and each team has developed their very own dynamics for different reasons. For example, our largest team is the research lab, which is a mixed bunch of folk from eight countries spanning Western Europe to South East Asia. Despite coming from very different cultural backgrounds and living in time zones six hours apart, that team has created the strongest internal bond between its members, who sometimes “meet” out of work hours for online games. English is generally the language of choice, but some teams that are mostly made up of members who speak the same language have established internal Slack channels to increase communication speed and efficiency. Are there disadvantages to not getting face time with your team? The social component gets cut a bit short at times. Everyone’s focused on working efficiently and there’s not much time for unnecessary fluff, so things can get a bit impersonal if people don’t pay attention to the fact that their colleagues are real humans as well. I think it takes slightly more effort in team building to establish strong team bonds over the internet, but I don’t see it as a major blocker at all. Some of us – including myself – occasionally work from nearby coworking spaces to maintain social contacts with like-minded people. How are conflicts/disputes resolved? You’re always going to get different opinions when working in a larger team. We generally try to consider all arguments and then decide on what’s objectively most likely to be the best decision based on the facts we have available to us. Documenting big strategic decisions helps the whole team understand why the decision was made and ensures everyone pulls in the same direction moving forward. What are the pros of being an all-remote company? From the company’s side of things, one of the biggest benefits is that we’re not dependent on available skills in a specific region. We can select from a much larger worldwide pool of candidates to find the people that best match our requirements. It’s also much easier for us to hire locals for roles that require native speakers, such as positions in Sales, Marketing and Customer Support. In addition, having staff around the world means we can better serve our customers across different time zones. We’re pretty much available 24/7. Emsisoft never sleeps. From an employee perspective, the benefits mostly revolve around the flexibility. People don’t need to relocate for their careers, and it’s amazing being able to eliminate the daily commute, which saves a lot of time and money. With the exception of attending team meetings, Emsisoft employees are mostly free to schedule their own working hours, which provides a very high level of personal freedom and work-life balance. Remote working also allows employees to travel and explore the world without sacrificing their careers. I myself grew up in Austria and moved to New Zealand four years ago. I couldn’t have done that with a locally bound company. Almost half of our team members live in a different country to the one in which they grew up. Digital nomads, so to speak. What are the cons of being an all-remote company? The biggest con is obvious: it’s almost impossible to get the whole team physically together in one place since we are literally spread across the entire globe. In fact, one team member recently moved to Antarctica! Regional cultural differences can also pose a challenge, but I think it would be unfair to put all people of a specific region in the same box. My own experience shows that you can find talent in any part of the world. What’s been the biggest challenge? The language barrier can be a problem at times. It’s easy to have a day of work go to waste due to miscommunication, but the fact that we almost exclusively use text chats and tickets has helped us overcome most language issues. For most people, spoken English is much more difficult to learn than written English. A missed word in a phone conversation could mean losing a piece of a vital information, while a written word can be quickly clarified or translated online. Establishing a high-trust relationship with new team members can be challenging during times of fast growth, as we can’t spend as much time nurturing each individual as much as we would like. Our hires are ultimately based on trust; we don’t monitor each and every move our team members make (although we do use online time-tracking tools to record work hours for payroll purposes). What makes a good remote worker? I think the most important skill is self-management. You need to be able to get things done, even if there is no immediate supervision or pressure from your team. There’s definitely the potential to lose focus and motivation when working from home. I think the best way to avoid drifting off mentally is to establish a routine and make sure your work never gets boring. Time management isn’t just about being able to get your work done on time – it includes establishing a healthy work-life balance. The line between workplace and living room is often as thin as the edge of the work desk, which sometimes makes it difficult to leave the work stuff behind, especially on weekends. Many of our team members identify very strongly with their work. It’s not just what they do for a living – it’s their passion and a big part of their identity – which can make it difficult for them to put their work down. What are the pros and cons of being organizationally flat? I think in today’s online era, there’s no more space for steep organizational hierarchies. I have never seen my team members as subordinates or people who are lower in any way. We couldn’t do what we do without those who manage, develop, test, sell, market and support the product. I myself still enjoy being on the frontlines at times, answering customer questions or responding to constructive feedback, especially if it challenges me or the business to get better. At the end of the day, I just happen to be the one who pays the cheques, but I’m no more or less important than anyone else. Mutual respect is the foundation of the team, and those who have the strongest knowledge and experience in a specific field are typically those who are trusted to make the right calls when it comes to strategic decisions. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs who might be thinking about taking their business remote? Do it fully or don’t do it at all. I don’t think a team can successfully emerge as a remote business if they only implement remote work partially or perceive it as an add-on to an existing local office, as it would create too much friction between worlds. Remote work requires a bit of a different approach, which ideally comes from the leaders and not from outsourcing the cheapest labor jobs. In fact, I think entrepreneurs should avoid seeing remote work as “outsourcing” in general. “Outsourcing” implies that remote workers exist outside the core of the business. At Emsisoft, we have never even considered outsourcing to low-cost agencies in developing nations because it would collide with our business principles and our aim of providing the best possible customer support in the antivirus industry. Any predictions about the future of remote working? I think the era of hearing a lot of oohs and aahs when talking about running a remote business will soon end. Remote working is becoming a normal thing, and I assume that almost all newly founded startups will operate that way. We’ve already seen the success of much larger remote-only organizations such as Automattic (the makers of WordPress), which is made of up about 800 employees. Companies like this are clear proof that a remote-only structure is sustainable and not limited to small teams. Remote working opens up all sorts of possibilities for achieving a better work-life balance. Increasingly, people are asking themselves: Why do I waste hours on my daily commute? Why do I have to be separated from my family for 80 percent of the time I’m awake? And the answer to both questions is: you don’t have to. Remote working is a win-win situation. Remote workers aren’t forced to make the impossible trade-off of sacrificing their personal lives for their careers, while companies can source the best talent from around the world without geographical restrictions. As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, I’m proud to say that Emsisoft is living proof that all-remote is a viable, effective and sustainable business model. The post What I’ve learned about running an all-remote company during 15-years as the CEO of the world’s first all-remote AV company appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

Could you please post a screenshot of the problem? Thanks!

The year is 2003. Finding Nemo is making a splash on the big screen, Arnold Schwarzenegger is about to be elected governor of California and a little-known company by the name of Emsisoft has just been born. Fast forward to today, and it’s clear a lot has changed. As a company, we’ve continued to evolve while staying true to our original values: providing great customer service and quality malware protection. In celebration of our 15th anniversary, join us for a walk down memory lane as we take a look back at how Emsisoft has grown and what we’ve accomplished over the years. We’re also running a very special $15 for 15 promotion – for the next 15 days, you can get a one-year license of Emsisoft Anti-Malware for just $15! 2003-2007: Genesis 2003, the year it all began. Emsisoft is founded in Austria and the company’s very first product is released in the form of a² Personal (a-squared), a malware scanner that sports a very early noughties design (in the words of Emsisoft Founder Christian Mairoll: “What was I thinking!”). In 2005, Emsisoft introduces the Behavior Blocker Module, an ahead of its time technology that blocks malware based on behavioral patterns rather than relying on signatures alone. 2008-2010: The evolution begins In 2008, Emsisoft makes waves in the antivirus world by releasing the first free dual-engine virus scanner. Meanwhile, a-squared’s UI has evolved noticeably over the years, and the main Security Status menu now offers more configuration options than you can shake a stick at. 2010-2012: They grow up so fast In 2010, we bid goodbye to the a-squared brand. The software is now known by the name we have all come to love: Emsisoft Anti-Malware. 2010 also marks the release of the Emsisoft Emergency Kit and is the year in which we receive our very first VB100 award! 2013-2015: A glimpse of the future The UI continues to get cleaner and Emsisoft rolls out an exciting new product. In 2013, Emsisoft Anti-Malware takes part in the AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test for the first time and walks away with a perfect score by preventing 100 percent of infections. In 2014, Emsisoft releases Emsisoft Mobile Security to counter the growing threat of mobile malware. Later in 2014, the UI receives a major facelift to make the software more intuitive. Under the hood, Emsisoft Anti-Malware is faster and more effective than ever before. 2016-2017: The teenage years Emsisoft Anti-Malware continues to evolve as ransomware takes the world by storm. In 2016, Emsisoft receives its first AV-TEST seal, releases the first version of the Emsisoft Anti-Malware enterprise console and joins the No More Ransom Initiative. 2016 is also the year in which frustrated malware authors bestow the highest honor upon Emsisoft CTO Fabian by naming a strain of ransomware named after him: Fabiansomware. 2018 and beyond And that brings us to the present day. Today, Emsisoft Anti-Malware is a powerful, efficient antivirus solution wrapped up in a beautiful UI and supported by the most committed customer service team you’ll find in the industry. We’ve come a long way over the past 15 years, evolving from a simple anti-trojan tool to one of the most trusted antivirus products on the market. We’re proud of our history, our story, and our achievements, and we’re excited for what the future holds. Thank you for being part of our journey. We couldn’t do it without you. To celebrate our 15th anniversary, we’re running a very special promotion. For the next 15 days, you can get a one-year license of Emsisoft Anti-Malware for just $15! The post From an anti-trojan tool to a full anti-malware solution: 15 years of Emsisoft Anti-Malware appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article

We like to keep things simple. Avoiding unnecessary complexity is said to be the foundation of great product usability and user experience. In the past, Emsisoft offered a series of standalone products, each with their own licensing options, such as protection for desktops, servers, and mobile devices. That system was fine, but ultimately we want to provide outstanding protection across the board, regardless of the devices you use. That’s why we’ve extended our licensing from single product licenses to license plans that cover multiple target platforms at once. What this means for you in detail: New Emsisoft Home plans Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home – US $29.99 annually Our well-known and long-term proven protection solution. Available in license packs of 1, 3 and 5 Windows computers. Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home & Mobile – US $39.99 annually Same as the Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home plan, but also allows you to protect your Windows and Android devices. Each Windows license purchased adds one more license for Android. New Emsisoft Business plans Emsisoft Business Security – US $19.99 annually Complete protection for Windows desktops. Starting at 3 devices with extra volume discounts at 25, 50 and 100 units. For 249 devices and more, please get in touch with our sales team. Emsisoft Enterprise Security – US $29.99 annually Protects all your Windows endpoints. Licenses can be used on both desktop and server editions of Windows. Please also note our discounts for 2- and 3-year subscriptions, as well as our educational prices. More details on our pricing page. All 2018.10 improvements in a nutshell Emsisoft Anti-Malware New Home and Business license plans. Improved stability and compatibility. Several minor tweaks and fixes. Emsisoft Enterprise Console Several minor tweaks and fixes. How to obtain the new version As always, so long as you have auto-updates enabled in the software, you will receive the latest version automatically during your regularly scheduled updates, which are hourly by default. New users, please download the full installer from our product pages. Note to Enterprise users: If you have chosen to receive “Delayed” updates in the Update settings for your clients, they will receive the new software version no earlier than 30 days after the regular “Stable” availability. This gives you time to perform internal compatibility tests before a new version gets rolled out to your clients automatically. Have a great and well-protected day! The post New in 2018.10: New Home and Business license plans appeared first on Emsisoft | Security Blog. View the full article