av-comparatives.org

AV-Comparatives' most recent enterprise publications are the Endpoint Prevention & Response (EPR) Test 2026 and the Business Security Test H1 2026 (March – June). The EPR test evaluates how enterprise products detect, prevent, and respond to targeted attacks, while the Business Security Test covers Real-World Protection, Malware Protection, and Performance, and includes product descriptions alongside the results. Both are aimed at enterprise security software selection, so they are most useful if you are comparing endpoint or EDR/XDR products rather than consumer antivirus tools.

Endpoint Prevention & Response (EPR) Test 2026

This test focuses on enterprise products' ability to handle targeted attacks across three stages:

• Detection – whether the product identifies the attack activity
• Prevention – whether it blocks the attack before it succeeds
• Response – how it behaves once an attack is underway

It is the relevant report if your evaluation centers on advanced, targeted threats rather than broad commodity malware. The listing is dated September 2026.

Business Security Test H1 2026 (March – June)

This is the first half-year report of the enterprise main-test series. It combines three test types in one report:

The report also includes product descriptions, so it works as a combined reference for both comparative scores and a quick orientation to each vendor's offering. It is dated June 2026.

Which report fits your decision

• Choosing an EDR/XDR or endpoint protection platform against targeted attacks → start with the EPR Test 2026.
• Comparing overall enterprise endpoint protection, including performance impact → use the Business Security Test H1 2026.
• Needing vendor context alongside scores → the Business Security Test includes product descriptions; the EPR test is centered on targeted-attack handling.

Where these fit in AV-Comparatives' enterprise coverage

AV-Comparatives states that its enterprise testing covers EDR, XDR, firewalls, and endpoint protection, and that results are published as independent, data-driven insights for audiences including CISOs, analysts, vendors, and journalists. The two reports above are the latest enterprise items listed on the site; the organization also publishes consumer, IoT, and OT security tests, which are separate from enterprise selection.

AV-Comparatives is an independent anti-virus testing organization whose results are widely treated as trustworthy because it runs its own unbiased evaluations of cybersecurity, IoT, and OT security products, publishes those results freely, and backs top performers with a globally recognized certification. That combination — independent testing, open access, and a certification seal — is what makes its reports usable by consumers, enterprises, analysts, journalists, and vendors alike. If you are choosing security software or citing test data, AV-Comparatives is designed to be a source you can check directly rather than take on a vendor's word.

What makes the testing independent

The organization positions itself as a source of "independent, data-driven cybersecurity insights," and its stated model rests on four claims:

• Independent testing – Unbiased evaluations of cybersecurity, IoT, and OT security solutions.
• Freely accessible results – Trusted insights available to individuals, news organizations, and scientific institutions.
• Globally recognized certification – Its seal of approval signifies top-tier software performance.
• Industry standard for security – Setting the benchmark for transparency and reliability in cybersecurity testing.

The practical meaning of "independent" here is that the test results come from the testing body itself rather than from the vendors being tested. That is the core reason its reports carry weight: a vendor's own marketing claims and an independent lab's measurements are different kinds of evidence.

Who the results are for

AV-Comparatives explicitly names four target groups, which tells you whether its reports fit your situation:

It also lists journalists and editors covering cybersecurity trends or researching consumer safety among its audiences.

What it actually tests

The scope goes beyond consumer antivirus. According to the site, the tested categories include:

• Enterprise cybersecurity – EDR, XDR, firewalls, and endpoint protection.
• Consumer cybersecurity – Antivirus, internet security suites, and VPNs.
• IoT & OT security – From smart home and smart city technologies to industrial cybersecurity.

Recent published work includes the Endpoint Prevention & Response (EPR) Test 2026 (September 2026), which evaluates enterprise products' ability to detect, prevent, and respond to targeted attacks, and the Business Security Test H1 2026 (March–June), the first half-year report of the enterprise main-test series covering Real-World Protection, Malware Protection, and Performance Test, with product descriptions included.

Why the certification matters

The certification seal is the part most people encounter without realizing it. AV-Comparatives describes its seal of approval as signifying top-tier software performance. When you see that seal on a product, it means the vendor submitted to an independent evaluation and met the threshold — not that the vendor tested itself. That distinction is the reason the seal functions as a shortcut signal in purchasing decisions.

How to use this when you're deciding

• If you're a consumer comparing antivirus or VPN options, start with the consumer test results rather than vendor comparison pages.
• If you're evaluating enterprise tools like EDR or endpoint protection, the EPR and Business Security Test reports are the relevant entry points.
• If you're citing data in analysis or reporting, the freely accessible results are intended for exactly that use by news organizations and scientific institutions.
• If you see a certification seal, treat it as evidence of independent testing, and check the corresponding report for the specific test and period it covers.

One caveat worth keeping in mind: independence describes who runs the test, not whether a given product is right for your environment. Use the reports to narrow the field, then match the results to your own requirements.

AV-Comparatives organizes its independent test results by the type of product being evaluated, not by a single combined ranking. The fastest way to find relevant reports is to start from your role or the product category you care about, then open the matching test section. Enterprise buyers should look at EDR, XDR, firewall, and endpoint protection tests; consumers should look at antivirus, internet security suite, and VPN tests; and anyone working with connected or industrial systems should look at IoT and OT security tests. AV-Comparatives states that its results are freely accessible to individuals, news organizations, and scientific institutions, and that it serves consumers, CISOs, analysts, and vendors as target groups.

Start With Your Role

The site explicitly lists four target groups, and each maps to a different way of using the same test data:

If you are choosing software for personal devices, go straight to the consumer section. If you are evaluating tools for an organization, the enterprise section is the relevant one. The IoT & OT section is separate and covers smart home, smart city, and industrial cybersecurity.

Finding Enterprise Test Reports

Enterprise coverage includes EDR, XDR, firewalls, and endpoint protection. The site's latest enterprise tests illustrate the two main formats you will encounter:

• Endpoint Prevention & Response (EPR) Test 2026 (September 2026) — evaluates enterprise products' ability to detect, prevent, and respond to targeted attacks.
• Business Security Test H1 2026 (March – June) (June 2026) — the first half-year report of the enterprise main-test series, containing a Real-World Protection Test, a Malware Protection Test, and a Performance Test, plus product descriptions.

To use these: open the enterprise section, pick the test type that matches your decision (prevention and response capability versus broad protection and performance), and read the report for the specific period you need. The EPR test is the better fit if targeted attacks and response matter most; the Business Security Test is the better fit if you want a recurring, comparable view across protection and performance.

Finding Consumer Test Reports

Consumer coverage includes antivirus, internet security suites, and VPNs. The stated purpose is to give unbiased results so you can assess leading solutions and choose protection for your devices. If you are comparing standalone antivirus against a full suite, check which category each product was tested under before comparing scores, because the two are not the same product class.

Finding IoT and OT Test Reports

This section covers Internet of Things and Operational Technology solutions, from smart home and smart city technologies to industrial cybersecurity. Use it when your decision involves connected devices or industrial environments rather than traditional endpoints. The evaluation goal stated on the site is to help you make informed choices for secure and resilient operations.

What "Independent" Means Here

AV-Comparatives describes its testing as independent and data-driven, with unbiased evaluations of cybersecurity, IoT, and OT solutions. It also states that results are freely accessible to individuals, news organizations, and scientific institutions, and that its certification seal indicates top-tier software performance. For practical purposes: when you cite or rely on a result, check whether the report carries the certification seal and which test period it belongs to, since tests are published per period rather than as a single permanent score.

A Quick Decision Path

1. Identify whether your product is enterprise, consumer, or IoT/OT.
2. Open the matching section on av-comparatives.org.
3. Choose the test type that matches your question — for example, targeted-attack detection and response (EPR) versus broad protection and performance (Business Security Test).
4. Read the report for the specific period, and note whether a certification seal applies.
5. Compare only products tested in the same category and period.

The main pitfall is mixing categories: an enterprise EPR result and a consumer antivirus result answer different questions and should not be compared directly.

AV-Comparatives is an independent testing organization that evaluates anti-virus and cybersecurity software, publishing freely accessible, data-driven test results. It is relevant if you are a consumer choosing protection software, a CISO or security team evaluating enterprise products, an industry analyst, a journalist, or a vendor seeking third-party validation. The site describes itself as a "go-to source for independent, data-driven cybersecurity insights," and its stated purpose is unbiased evaluation rather than selling software.

What AV-Comparatives Tests

The organization covers three main areas, each aimed at a different buying or research decision:

Each area publishes independent test results intended to help readers compare solutions before committing to one.

Why It Positions Itself as Independent

AV-Comparatives lists four claims that define its role:

• Independent testing – unbiased evaluations of cybersecurity, IoT, and OT solutions
• Freely accessible results – insights available to individuals, news organizations, and scientific institutions
• Globally recognized certification – a seal of approval indicating strong software performance
• Industry standard for security – a benchmark for transparency and reliability in testing

The practical takeaway: results are published for public use rather than sold as a private report, and the certification seal is meant to signal that a product passed the organization's testing.

Who Uses It

The site names four target groups:

• Consumers – comparing antivirus and security suites for personal devices
• CISOs – evaluating enterprise endpoint, EDR, XDR, and firewall products
• Analysts – referencing independent data in industry research
• Vendors – submitting products for testing and certification

Journalists and editors researching consumer safety are also named as users in the site's description.

What Test Reports Look Like

AV-Comparatives publishes dated, recurring test series. Two examples from the site:

• Endpoint Prevention & Response (EPR) Test 2026 (September 2026) – evaluates enterprise products' ability to detect, prevent, and respond to targeted attacks.
• Business Security Test H1 2026 (March–June) – the first half-year report of the enterprise main-test series, covering Real-World Protection, Malware Protection, and Performance, plus product descriptions.

These examples show the structure to expect: named test type, defined testing period, and a report combining detection, protection, and performance results.

How to Use the Site

1. Identify your category — enterprise, consumer, or IoT/OT.
2. Open the relevant test section to see the most recent reports.
3. Read the report for the specific test type you care about (for example, Real-World Protection versus Performance).
4. Check whether a product carries the AV-Comparatives certification seal if you need a quick signal.
5. Cross-reference the test period, since results are tied to specific testing windows.

If you are comparing products, match the test type to your actual risk: real-world protection results matter more for everyday malware exposure, while EPR results matter more for organizations facing targeted attacks.