About the AV-TEST Institute
AV-TEST is an independent research institute for IT security. It is based in Germany and has clients all over the globe. For more than 20 years, the experts in Magdeburg have been certifying internationally relevant IT security products in quality-assuring comparative and individual tests and awarding products with seals for certified security based on the results of these tests. AV-TEST also focuses on the core areas of researching and analyzing the latest malware and attack techniques. In doing so, the institute obtains important findings that support the research conducted by experts throughout the world.
AV-TEST has been operating in Magdeburg since 2004 and is one of the world’s largest test laboratories for IT security, with a total of more than 30 employees. These employees offer a broad spectrum of in-depth professional and practical experience, for example software engineers and programmers networked with other specialists around the globe. The experts in the different AV-TEST departments regularly test security software for consumer users and corporate users under Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS. AV-TEST publishes the data obtained from these tests on its website in four languages, and its reviews are read by an average total of 500,000 visitors per month – from home users to company CISOs.
The AV-TEST laboratory is also tasked with examining security hardware and other solutions such as gateways in the form of cloud solutions, VMs or even hardware appliances. The laboratory experts also conduct individual tests on software and security solutions ranging from parental control software to VPN solutions, DNS protection, network detection and response (NDR) and right through to zero-trust-security solutions.
The AV-TEST Institute boasts identically equipped test laboratories, with over 200 workstations. The latest hardware and virtualized PCs are deployed for all product tests and evaluations.
Over 200 servers and large memory systems boasting a capacity of over 2,500 terabytes provide processing and storage for one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date malware databases in the world.
The AV-Test Institute operates specially equipped Android testing labs with a wide range of real and virtualized devices. For all product evaluations, current smartphones are used in a modern testing environment.
In the IoT lab, all types of connected solutions and their associated mobile applications are tested for security under strict evaluation criteria — only the best receive the 'Tested IoT Product' certification.
With AV-ATLAS, the AV-TEST Institute offers a threat intelligence platform that provides comprehensive cybersecurity services to defend against cyber threats.
Furthermore, the future-oriented area of smart home products and IoT devices represents an important market for both consumer and corporate users. The AV-TEST specialists have therefore been examining and certifying a wide range of IoT products since 2015.
AV-TEST has strong links with a multitude of important security organizations in Germany, for example the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and other government institutions. Many media sources, including magazines, online portals, radio channels and television shows, contact the AV-TEST specialists in Magdeburg for well-founded answers to important questions when addressing current topics in their articles and broadcasts.
The independent AV-TEST Institute benefits from the professional synergies arising from the test and research activities of other partners in the SITS Group AG, for example in the fields of pentesting, threat protection and cyber threat intelligence. The test institute has been part of the SITS Group since 2021.
The SITS Group AG is Europe’s leading cyber security provider. As a trustworthy partner, it supports its clients on their journey toward a digital future and helps them meet the challenges of the digital world. With more than 700 highly qualified employees in seven European countries, the SITS Group is the ideal partner for companies and public institutions looking for tailored consulting strategies, innovative engineering, cloud technology, support in transformation and comprehensive managed services from a single source.