2024 has been a year of significant growth and innovation for Emsisoft. Building on our reputation for robust and reliable cybersecurity solutions, we have introduced major new features and delivered consistent improvements to performance, usability, and user experience.
Independent third-party testing, such as AVLab Cybersecurity Foundation’s Advanced In-The-Wild Malware Test and Virus Bulletin’s VB100 certifications, has further validated Emsisoft’s effectiveness in providing exceptional malware detection and minimal false positives.
Now let’s dive into the specifics.
Spotlight: Key features of 2024
This year, Emsisoft introduced several standout features designed to enhance cybersecurity for organizations of all sizes. Among the most significant updates were the rollout of Removable Device Control and Incident Response Playbooks, each addressing critical needs in data security and incident management.
Removable Device Control
The introduction of Removable Device Control marks a significant step forward in mitigating risks posed by external devices. This feature enables administrators to manage and monitor access to USB drives, external hard disks, and other peripheral hardware, helping to prevent malware infections and data breaches. By allowing system access to authorized devices only, organizations can maintain a higher level of security across their networks.
This feature is particularly valuable in environments where data protection is paramount, such as finance, healthcare, and government sectors. Administrators can swiftly block non-compliant devices, ensuring adherence to organizational security policies while maintaining operational efficiency. Available exclusively to Emsisoft Enterprise Security users, this capability is a powerful addition to an already robust endpoint protection suite.
Incident Response Playbooks
Another major release in 2024 was the introduction of Incident Response Playbooks, designed to streamline and automate incident management workflows. Playbooks are a key component of modern Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) systems, enabling administrators to define and execute structured workflows tailored to specific security events.
This feature provides a flexible approach to incident response by allowing organizations to customize workflows based on incident-specific triggers, such as severity or type of alert. By automating repetitive tasks and guiding analysts through pre-defined processes, Incident Response Playbooks reduce response times and enhance overall security posture. Available to Emsisoft Enterprise Security users, this feature is designed to empower organizations to manage incidents effectively while minimizing downtime and disruption.
Month-by-month breakdown of updates
January
The year began with updates that simplified license management by automatically removing inactive devices after six months, with email notifications sent before and after removal. Re-adding devices is quick and seamless through a custom installer.
Additionally, a new Global Threat Hunting panel allows administrators to perform cross-workspace threat hunts, offering a centralized view and faster analysis across multiple environments. Minor fixes and enhancements were also included to optimize performance and usability.
Emsisoft also achieved a 100% detection rate in the AVLab January 2024 Advanced In-The-Wild Malware Test, a testament to its robust threat detection capabilities. With strong pre-launch and post-launch protection scores, Emsisoft demonstrated its ability to neutralize threats at all stages. This performance highlights its effectiveness against complex threats, including Living off the Land Binaries (LOLBins).
February
In February, Emsisoft introduced enhanced data control options, allowing workspace admins to delete specific data types directly from the Manage Data menu. While providing greater flexibility, safeguards ensure users understand that deletions are irreversible and may affect threat analysis.
This update reflects Emsisoft’s commitment to both security and privacy, alongside improvements to user permission synchronization for smoother multi-user and domain directory management.
March
March brought a series of UX enhancements and fixes, ensuring Emsisoft products continued to deliver seamless user experiences. These refinements targeted both device protection and the management console, improving responsiveness and usability for admins and end-users alike.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware excelled in the March 2024 VB100 Certification Test, earning an A grade with a 98.73% detection rate and zero false positives across 100,000 clean files. These results highlight Emsisoft’s reliability in distinguishing threats from legitimate files, ensuring organizations remain protected without disruptions caused by false positives.
April
Emsisoft’s April update introduced the ability to search raw EDR log data, providing administrators with deeper insights into system activity. Previously limited to detection-related data, this new functionality enables users to trace specific events such as process starts or registry changes across all devices in a workspace.
By leveraging this feature, admins can contextualize data and pinpoint when and how potential security incidents occurred. To further enhance efficiency, EDR data processing was optimized to minimize performance impact on endpoints.
Emsisoft’s excellence was recognized with AVLab’s prestigious Product of the Year 2024 award. This accolade highlights Emsisoft’s superior performance in the Advanced In-The-Wild Malware Tests conducted throughout the year. By blocking 99.93% of threats, Emsisoft demonstrated its ability to address a diverse range of malware challenges effectively.
May
May’s update brought several refinements aimed at improving system performance and user experience. Minor tweaks to both device protection and the management console ensure smoother operation, providing users with a seamless and reliable cybersecurity experience.
Emsisoft achieved a perfect 100% detection rate in the May 2024 AVLab test, blocking all 521 malware samples. With strong pre-launch and post-launch protection scores, the results emphasize Emsisoft’s ability to neutralize threats at all stages.
June
The June update introduced cross-workspace threat hunting capabilities, allowing partners and managed service providers to query EDR data across all managed environments simultaneously. This enhancement significantly streamlines the investigation process, reducing response times while providing comprehensive insights into potential threats.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware earned an A+ grade in the VB100 certification test for June 2024. Achieving a detection rate of 99.89% with zero false positives, the results highlight Emsisoft’s precise threat detection capabilities.
July
July marked the release of Removable Device Control, enabling administrators to restrict access to USB drives and other peripherals. This feature plays a vital role in mitigating risks of malware infections and data breaches caused by unauthorized devices.
Emsisoft delivered another stellar performance in the July AVLab test, achieving a 100% detection rate. Blocking 275 malware samples, Emsisoft demonstrated balanced pre-launch and post-launch detection capabilities, reaffirming its effectiveness in protecting against active cyber threats.
August
August’s update focused on refining user experience with minor performance enhancements across both device protection and the management console. These tweaks ensure that Emsisoft’s solutions continue to operate smoothly, providing maximum protection with minimal resource usage.
September
The September update delivered minor performance improvements and optimizations, ensuring Emsisoft products continue to operate reliably and efficiently. The adjustments focus on improving both device protection and the management console experience, further enhancing usability for enterprise users.
In the AVLab September 2024 Advanced In-The-Wild Malware Test, Emsisoft achieved a perfect 100% detection rate, blocking all 510 malware samples. The results demonstrate a balanced performance with 51.18% pre-launch and 48.82% post-launch detection.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware maintained its reputation for precision in the September VB100 certification, securing top scores for malware detection and achieving zero false positives.
October
New in 2024.10: Usability and performance enhancements
October’s update introduced minor usability improvements, including the addition of an On/Off switch for Removable Devices feature policies. This enhancement provides admins with greater flexibility in managing removable device access, streamlining policy adjustments to meet organizational needs.
November
New in 2024.11: Introducing Incident Response Playbooks
Emsisoft launched Incident Response Playbooks in November, providing enterprise users with a powerful tool to automate and streamline incident response workflows. By enabling custom workflows for various security events, Playbooks enhance efficiency and significantly reduce incident response times.
December
December’s update focused on system optimizations and enhancements to ensure continued reliability. For Emsisoft Enterprise Security users, the release introduced a new Threat Hunt element within the Playbooks tool, powered by OsQuery queries.
Wrap-up
2024 was a year of consistent growth and innovation for Emsisoft, with major feature releases and perfect scores in various tests.
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