11 November 2016

ESET launches version 10 of security suite for consumers

The four products in v10 of ESET's consumer security portfolio.
The four products in v10 of ESET's consumer security portfolio.

ESET has launched version 10 of its line of security solutions for home users. ESET Smart Security Premium is built upon the company's NOD32 technology, which offers an optimal mix of detection, speed and usability. 

The new product supports a new ESET password manager feature for easier and safer authentication, as well as ESET secure data for convenient and strong encryption. Besides the new ESET Smart Security Premium, users will also be able to take advantage of another new product, ESET Internet Security. 

"As Internet threats get more and more diverse, users need more complex Internet security suites with features based on individual preferences. Our new product portfolio fully reflects this trend," explains Lukas Raska, COO for Asia Pacific at ESET.

With the new line of products, ESET highlights the need for privacy/ ESET webcam protection - a feature available with both ESET Smart Security Premium and ESET Internet Security - regulates access to the camera for example. Users will be able to monitor, block or allow processes and applications attempting to access the webcam, and switch off the computer's camera as needed.

"The recent series of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks in the US and Singapore have shown how important it is for customers to ensure that the devices they use every day are secured against malware threats," said Raska.

"The ESET webcam protection is just one of the many new features of ESET Smart Security Premium 10, which promises fast, lightweight and proactive protection for customers' webcams, files, passwords and home networks, within a single, integrated solution."

The four ESET v10 security offerings support different features.
The four ESET v10 security offerings support different features.

Beng Hai Sim, Sales Engineer at ESET Asia, explains that ESET will be moving to feature-based pricing, with different products offering different combinations of features.

New in version 10 are:

Script-based attack protection  Detects attacks by malicious scripts that try to exploit Windows PowerShell. It also detects malicious JavaScript that can attack via the browser; all major browsers are supported.

Home network protection 
Enables users to determine home router vulnerabilities, such as weak passwords or out-of-date firmware, and offers them options for remediation. It also creates a list of connected devices, with devices categorised by type and shows who's connected. 

Webcam protection 
A feature that controls processes and applications that access computer-connected web cameras and displays notifications when unwanted applications try to access the camera. The feature monitors all the active processes and software to see which ones want to use the webcam and will then alert the user to any that try to access the webcam unexpectedly. The user is given the option of blocking the activity. "Your system can be compromised and the hacker can use a remote access toolkit to turn on the webcam without your knowledge, and even turn on the microphone," Sim explained.

Sim demonstrates how the password manager feature works in the new v10 portfolio for consumers.
Sim demonstrates how the password manager feature works in the new v10 portfolio for consumers.

ESET password manager 
AES‑256 encryption - military grade - is deployed to store and prefill all users' passwords. It also generates and stores extra-strong new passwords each time the user needs one. Sim noted that all the user needs to do is remember a master password, but if that is lost, there is no way to get access to any of the other passwords.

The feature will synchronise passwords across multiple devices. It is currently available on Windows and Mac platforms and soon on iOS and Android. Browser-wise it is compatible with Chrome, Explorer and Firefox, but not yet on Edge.

ESET secure data 
This feature leverages intellectual property from data encryption company DESlock+, which was acquired by ESET in 2015. It protects against data theft in the event of USB-key* or laptop loss, and allows for secure collaboration and data sharing. Sim demonstrated how a folder or virtual drive can be created to store encrypted files with sensitive data. Even if the device is lost, no one can get access to the data as it remains encrypted.

ESET also offers ransomware protection. The feature checks for suspicious behaviour and blocks activities until the user decides to allow it, or to continue blocking the process. Ransomware makes files inaccessible by encrypting them, and demands a payment (ransom) in exchange for the key (password) which will decrypt (restore) the files. "Even if you have the decryption key it does not automatically restore all the systems or even guarantee the recovery of important data," Sim warned.

Established features in the ESET Smart Security Premium and Internet Security product portfolio for home users also include banking & payment Protection, Anti-spyware, Anti-Phishing, Exploit Blocker, advanced personal firewall, and the ESET LiveGrid Reputation System.

ESET's Parvinder Walia, Sales and Marketing Director for Asia Pacific, said that ESET stands out in the industry for products which are light on system resources, fast threat detection and the highest detection rate in the industry. Over 100 million users are protected in 180 countries, including in Singapore, ESET's regional headquarters. Walia also shared that ESET is in the top five for the Asia Pacific endpoint security market according to IDC.

ESET Smart Security 9 was recently certified as the only security solution with 100% protection among all products in SE Labs' Home Anti-Malware Protection Test and received the highest score in the AV-Comparatives' Performance Test across all tested Internet security products. ESET also dominated the VBSpam Test and AV-Comparatives Anti-Spam Test.

Interested?

The new products are for Windows only. Users with an active v9 licence can download and install v10 at no charge. Version 9 will not be automatically upgraded to v10.
Pricing is set at:
 ESET NOD32 Antivirus US$20 - one user for one year
 ESET Internet Security US$30 – one user for one year
 ESET Smart Security Premium US$50 – one user for one year
 ESET Multi-Device Security Pack US$50/US$70 – three users for one year / five users for one year