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ESET has been named the only Challenger in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Endpoint Protection

BRATISLAVA — May 29, 2026 — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, is proud to be recognized as a Challenger in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Endpoint Protection1 for the third consecutive year for its ESET PROTECT offering. The company has been recognized in the report for 16 consecutive years and has been named a Challenger 7 times in the last 8 editions.

ESET believes strong execution and thorough vision drive its positioning, supported by competitive pricing and proven long-term performance. “Being named the only Challenger in the 2026 Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection is, in our view, a strong validation of our strategy and the value we deliver to customers worldwide,” said Pavol Balaj, Chief Business Officer at ESET. “We see this as recognition of our consistent innovation, strong performance, and dedication to making cybersecurity both effective and easy to manage. We will continue to invest in advancing our platform capabilities to help organizations stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.”

“Challengers offer mature endpoint protection products that effectively meet the needs of endpoint protection buyers. They also have strong market visibility, resulting in better Ability to Execute compared to Niche Players,” said Gartner. “Challengers are practical choices, especially for customers with established strategic relationships with them.”

ESET PROTECT is a comprehensive cybersecurity platform designed to meet the evolving needs of modern organizations. Built on decades of expertise and continuous innovation, it delivers a Prevention-First approach to security, integrating advanced technologies and security services into a single, scalable solution to meet the cyber resilience requirements of today.

Discover more about the ESET PROTECT Platform.

See what industry analysts, independent tests, and IT professionals are saying about ESET and its solutions.

Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

1Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection, By Deepak Mishra, Evgeny Mirolyubov, Nikul Patel, 26 May 2026

Gartner and Magic Quadrant are trademarks of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates.

 

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET joins the Agentic AI Foundation to help shape safe, human‑led agentic AI

BRATISLAVA — May 19, 2026 — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity and a longtime pioneer in artificial intelligence, has joined the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) as a Silver Member*, strengthening its commitment to shaping safe, human-led agentic AI. Through its membership, ESET will contribute with independent, research-driven cybersecurity expertise to the global effort in advancing open protocols, cross-compatibility, and production-ready standards for AI agents.

The AAIF serves as a neutral, open foundation under the auspices of the Linux Foundation, where the open standard agentic AI stack is being built. The rapidly expanding membership underscores industry momentum toward shared standards as agentic AI moves from experimentation into real‑world deployment.

“Agentic AI is becoming a new digital perimeter. Shaping it demands purpose, disciplined engineering, and a security-first approach. For us, this is a natural continuation of work we’ve pursued for decades, developing AI that rises above short-term trends and is grounded in integrity and societal impact,” said Juraj Janošík, ESET VP of Artificial Intelligence.

By joining the AAIF, ESET reinforces its long‑standing focus on responsible innovation and security‑by‑design, supporting the development of open agentic AI systems that can be safely deployed at scale. As a dedicated cybersecurity member of the Agentic AI Foundation, ESET will work alongside OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, Microsoft, and others to establish trusted standards and secure protocols for AI agent interoperability.

Learn more about ethical AI use at ESET.

* Since the Agentic AI Foundation operates under the Linux foundation, ESET automatically becomes part of the Linux Foundation ecosystem.

 

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET supercharges AI innovation with investment to address rapidly expanding attack surface

  • ESET announces a €40 million investment to increase its R&D team and accelerates the development of cybersecurity-first foundational AI models, a layered AI stack, and a new generation AI SOC.
  • The new capabilities will protect AI workflows, strengthen cybersecurity-specific AI, and revolutionize the analysis and understanding of cybersecurity telemetry.
  • ESET has scanned nearly 800,000 unique AI Skills since March 2026, flagging some 25,000 as suspicious and blocking more than 3,000 as malicious.

ESET World, Berlin, Germany — May 19, 2026 — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, today announced an investment of €40 million into the future of AI-powered cybersecurity, as the company warns of a rapidly emerging new attack surface driven by autonomous and agentic AI systems.

The commitment – announced today by ESET CEO Richard Marko at ESET World 2026 – comes in response to a shift already visible in ESET’s own data. Since March 2026, ESET technologies have scanned nearly 800,000 unique AI skills – modular components that instruct AI agents how to perform tasks, use tools, access services, and interact with external systems. Approximately 25,000 of the skills were classified as suspicious and more than 3,000 are blocked as outright malicious. The overall figure represents a 13-fold surge from the approximately 60,000 publicly available skills observed at the beginning of this year. According to ESET researchers, AI skills are part of a rapidly growing software supply-chain layer, often connecting sensitive systems to external repositories, plugins, datasets, and third-party services.

“Cybersecurity is entering a completely new era,” said Richard Marko, CEO of ESET. “Artificial intelligence is no longer only a tool for defense. It is becoming part of the attack surface itself. Our investment is focused on ensuring that AI strengthens cybersecurity rather than weakens it – and on building technologies capable of protecting organizations in a world of autonomous AI.”

The initiative is intended to strengthen ESET’s technological independence and European cybersecurity sovereignty at a time when access to advanced AI systems is increasingly concentrated among a small number of global technology companies. “We believe the future of cybersecurity cannot depend entirely on models controlled by Big Tech,” Marko added. “In cybersecurity, sovereignty matters.”

Supported by a three-year hiring plan which will see ESET’s R&D team increase to 1,000 researchers and engineers, the €40 million investment will focus on three strategic areas:

  • independent security-first foundational AI models;
  • a complete layered AI security stack;
  • the new generation AI SOC.

“ESET has long led the way in applying AI to cybersecurity,” said Juraj Jánošík, ESET VP of Artificial Intelligence. “What’s changing now is the role that AI plays. AI tools are becoming part of everyday work, agentic systems are expanding the attack surface, and security teams need faster ways to respond to threats. This investment lets us work across the full horizon: securing AI use, building AI models for cybersecurity, and bringing autonomous capabilities into security operations under human oversight.”

Independent security-first foundational AI models

ESET will accelerate the development of its own security-focused AI models designed specifically for cybersecurity applications. Unlike general-purpose AI systems trained on broad internet content, ESET’s models will be optimized using cybersecurity telemetry and real-world threat intelligence gathered over the almost 35 years of ESET’s existence.

The company will continue expanding its existing AI-powered technologies (such as ESET LiveGrid, ESET LiveCortex and ESET LiveGuard), while also exploring emerging AI concepts, including World Models capable of understanding behavior, context, and intent within digital environments.

Building a complete layered AI security stack

As AI becomes integrated into everyday business operations, ESET is building a comprehensive AI-native security architecture designed to protect organizations from emerging AI-driven risks and threats. The investment will include the development of ESET Secure AI Relay – a secure intermediary layer between users, AI agents, business applications, and AI models.

The cybersecurity firm will also build network-level security protections for communication between AI agents. ESET AI Skills Checker (a free tool launched at RSAC 2026 Conference), together with its enhanced versions integrated into ESET products, was designed specifically for this emerging ecosystem of agentic AI systems.

Building the new generation AI SOC

A new generation of AI Security Operations Center (SOC) technologies will be designed to address the growing scale and complexity of modern detection and response environments. Rather than simply replacing analysts with AI agents, ESET aims to fundamentally rethink how cybersecurity telemetry is processed, correlated, and understood. The company’s vision is to make advanced AI-powered cybersecurity accessible not only to large enterprises, but also to mid-sized and smaller organizations through highly automated, supervised protection technologies.

“Cybersecurity cannot scale by adding more alerts, more dashboards, and more complexity,” Marko added. “The industry needs another major leap forward. We believe AI must help make world-class cybersecurity effortless and available to everyone.”

 

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET doubles down on tailored solutions with ESET PRIVATE on a global scale

  • Building on years of serving organizations with complex security needs, ESET today elevates its bespoke offering globally as ESET PRIVATE.
  • ESET PRIVATE empowers large enterprise and public-sector environments with custom solutions and tailored cyber-resilience at scale.
  • The solution lineup includes high-speed threat scanning, security for fully air-gapped environments, protection for IT and OT infrastructure, tailored threat intelligence, and complex managed security.
  • At ESET World 2026 held in Berlin, Germany, interested parties can get an in-depth look at what this line of custom solutions brings to the table.

BRATISLAVA, BERLIN — May 18 , 2026 — ESET, Europe’s largest cybersecurity vendor*, today announced that its ESET PRIVATE portfolio will be presented at ESET World 2026.

Large organizations have increasingly complex infrastructures, and face compliance demands and rising threats. For them, standard offerings simply don’t suffice. To ensure uninterrupted operations, tailor-made security that is seamlessly integrated around their infrastructure is required.

As a solution, ESET PRIVATE was developed to offer tailored and advisory-led cybersecurity for complex enterprise and public-sector environments, including the world’s largest companies, defense organizations, critical infrastructure operators, and public institutions, among others, adapting to a wide range of requirements and operational environments—even for environments with strict data-residency and digital sovereignty needs.

“Extending our standard B2B and Enterprise portfolio, ESET PRIVATE solutions are designed to accommodate the specific requirements and context of large corporations and government organizations,” commented David Března, Vice President of CS Operations and Scale Up at ESET. “Differing from industry to industry, our customers are shifting from buying technology to managing cyber risk, while navigating rapidly changing geopolitics, digital architectures, and an overload of tools and data. ESET’s role is evolving from a commodity vendor to a strategic partner, where we deliver purpose built security solutions that fit the business, operational, and regulatory context of each organization.
So whether you’re a bank seeking to protect clients against phishing scams, a long running manufacturer needing to secure critical legacy OT technology, an energy company requiring threat intelligence to safeguard its distribution network, or a government pursuing sovereignty beyond just where data is stored, ESET can do far more than what we are known for.”

Previously known as Corporate Solutions, ESET PRIVATE delivers:

  • Custom design and builds: Dedicated ESET engineers and architects work closely with customers to adapt, implement, and extend these solutions to address their advanced security and operational needs.
  • Modular Solution Portfolio: Customers are able to mix and match any combination of ESET PRIVATE solutions.
  • Cloud or on-premises solutions: Seamless integration around customers’ complex infrastructures and business operations with flexible deployment options.
  • Consultative approach: ESET provides expert advice based on in-depth industry knowledge.
  • End-to-end solutions: ESET supports long-term partnerships and ongoing solution life-cycle management.

Leveraging over 30 years of cybersecurity experience and global threat intelligence, ESET PRIVATE provides robust digital security solutions and bespoke solutions—bringing together ESET’s award-winning products with proprietary core technologies and expert personnel. Enabling companies to move past compliance requirements, ESET’s multilayered security solutions combine the power of AI and human expertise—and are available for cloud and on-premises environments.

Find out more at ESET World 2026

ESET will be showcasing ESET PRIVATE to the public at its annual ESET World conference, bringing together cybersecurity experts from around the world to witness, experience, network, and discuss ESET PRIVATE and its other solutions and services, providing a firsthand perspective.

Among the number of presentations will be those specifically tackling high-pressure, high-risk environments, hosted by ESET’s best and attended by renowned experts:

Beyond One-Size-Fits-All Security: Meeting the Needs of High-Risk Organizations
Juraj Malcho – Chief Technology Officer, ESET
Martin Talian – Chief Corporate Solutions Officer, ESET

As threats grow in complexity and impact, not all organizations can rely on standard, one-size-fits-all protection. Some operate in environments where trust, resilience, and control are critical and require a different level of security approach.

How can we secure systems operating in restricted and autonomous environments?
Patrik Pliesovsky: Director of Delivery and Deployment, ESET

Securing systems that operate in restricted environments presents unprecedented challenges, especially as autonomous AI-driven agents improve their ability to make independent decisions without human intervention. The session explores critical considerations for designing cybersecurity architectures that work in restricted and autonomous systems. It will focus on balancing operational autonomy with robust security controls—ensuring system integrity, continuous behavioral monitoring, and resilience in isolated, resource-constrained, or air-gapped environments.

Cyber Defense at the Digital Front lines
Andrew Lee, Vice President of Government Affairs, ESET
Colonel Mietta Groeneveld, Director of NATO Command and Control Centre of Excellence
Hans De Vries, Chief Cybersecurity and Operations Officer, ENISA

This panel convenes high-level cyber experts to address escalating cyber aggression from nation-states that increasingly disregard international cyber norms in order to conduct espionage and attack critical infrastructure. As hostile regimes exploit digital technologies, carry out damaging cyber-attacks, and now, leverage AI, defenders face the complex challenge of countering asymmetric warfare while upholding civil liberties and defending their citizens.

The panel will explore strategies for resilience, examining how to protect essential services in an era of persistent conflict. Ultimately, the session seeks to answer how defenders can secure their digital front lines without compromising the very values they are seeking to protect.

Strategic Cyber Resilience: The New Front Line Against Nation-State Warfare (fireside chat)
Thomas Hemker – Security CTO, Cyber Risk Advisor, Guter Hafen Cyber-Sicherheit
Colonel Mietta Groeneveld, Director of NATO Command and Control Centre of Excellence

As state actors blur the lines between cyber warfare and cybercrime, adopting sophisticated AI-driven tactics targeting supply chains and critical infrastructure, traditional defense-focused security models prove insufficient. The demand for advanced, resilient security architectures has never been greater. This panel will discuss cyber resilience as the cornerstone of modern defense strategy, transforming cybersecurity from cost center to competitive advantage.

Register and watch the conference taking place in Berlin, Germany, at the JW Marriott Hotel between May 19̶20, online.

*Based on Frost Radar™: Endpoint Security, 2025 (Frost & Sullivan), ESET is Europe’s largest cybersecurity vendor.

Learn more about ESET PRIVATE.

Read more about how ESET PRIVATE Industrial Security solves legacy OT security woes in the manufacturing sector.

 

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET doubles down on tailored solutions with ESET PRIVATE on a global scale

  • Building on years of serving organizations with complex security needs, ESET today elevates its bespoke offering globally as ESET PRIVATE.
  • ESET PRIVATE empowers large enterprise and public-sector environments with custom solutions and tailored cyber-resilience at scale.
  • The solution lineup includes high-speed threat scanning, security for fully air-gapped environments, protection for IT and OT infrastructure, tailored threat intelligence, and complex managed security.
  • At ESET World 2026 held in Berlin, Germany, interested parties can get an in-depth look at what this line of custom solutions brings to the table.

BRATISLAVA, BERLIN — May 18 , 2026 — ESET, Europe’s largest cybersecurity vendor*, today announced that its ESET PRIVATE portfolio will be presented at ESET World 2026.

Large organizations have increasingly complex infrastructures, and face compliance demands and rising threats. For them, standard offerings simply don’t suffice. To ensure uninterrupted operations, tailor-made security that is seamlessly integrated around their infrastructure is required.

As a solution, ESET PRIVATE was developed to offer tailored and advisory-led cybersecurity for complex enterprise and public-sector environments, including the world’s largest companies, defense organizations, critical infrastructure operators, and public institutions, among others, adapting to a wide range of requirements and operational environments—even for environments with strict data-residency and digital sovereignty needs.

“Extending our standard B2B and Enterprise portfolio, ESET PRIVATE solutions are designed to accommodate the specific requirements and context of large corporations and government organizations,” commented David Března, Vice President of CS Operations and Scale Up at ESET. “Differing from industry to industry, our customers are shifting from buying technology to managing cyber risk, while navigating rapidly changing geopolitics, digital architectures, and an overload of tools and data. ESET’s role is evolving from a commodity vendor to a strategic partner, where we deliver purpose built security solutions that fit the business, operational, and regulatory context of each organization.
So whether you’re a bank seeking to protect clients against phishing scams, a long running manufacturer needing to secure critical legacy OT technology, an energy company requiring threat intelligence to safeguard its distribution network, or a government pursuing sovereignty beyond just where data is stored, ESET can do far more than what we are known for.”

Previously known as Corporate Solutions, ESET PRIVATE delivers:

  • Custom design and builds: Dedicated ESET engineers and architects work closely with customers to adapt, implement, and extend these solutions to address their advanced security and operational needs.
  • Modular Solution Portfolio: Customers are able to mix and match any combination of ESET PRIVATE solutions.
  • Cloud or on-premises solutions: Seamless integration around customers’ complex infrastructures and business operations with flexible deployment options.
  • Consultative approach: ESET provides expert advice based on in-depth industry knowledge.
  • End-to-end solutions: ESET supports long-term partnerships and ongoing solution life-cycle management.

Leveraging over 30 years of cybersecurity experience and global threat intelligence, ESET PRIVATE provides robust digital security solutions and bespoke solutions—bringing together ESET’s award-winning products with proprietary core technologies and expert personnel. Enabling companies to move past compliance requirements, ESET’s multilayered security solutions combine the power of AI and human expertise—and are available for cloud and on-premises environments.

Find out more at ESET World 2026

ESET will be showcasing ESET PRIVATE to the public at its annual ESET World conference, bringing together cybersecurity experts from around the world to witness, experience, network, and discuss ESET PRIVATE and its other solutions and services, providing a firsthand perspective.

Among the number of presentations will be those specifically tackling high-pressure, high-risk environments, hosted by ESET’s best and attended by renowned experts:

Beyond One-Size-Fits-All Security: Meeting the Needs of High-Risk Organizations
Juraj Malcho – Chief Technology Officer, ESET
Martin Talian – Chief Corporate Solutions Officer, ESET

As threats grow in complexity and impact, not all organizations can rely on standard, one-size-fits-all protection. Some operate in environments where trust, resilience, and control are critical and require a different level of security approach.

How can we secure systems operating in restricted and autonomous environments?
Patrik Pliesovsky: Director of Delivery and Deployment, ESET

Securing systems that operate in restricted environments presents unprecedented challenges, especially as autonomous AI-driven agents improve their ability to make independent decisions without human intervention. The session explores critical considerations for designing cybersecurity architectures that work in restricted and autonomous systems. It will focus on balancing operational autonomy with robust security controls—ensuring system integrity, continuous behavioral monitoring, and resilience in isolated, resource-constrained, or air-gapped environments.

Cyber Defense at the Digital Front lines
Andrew Lee, Vice President of Government Affairs, ESET
Colonel Mietta Groeneveld, Director of NATO Command and Control Centre of Excellence
Hans De Vries, Chief Cybersecurity and Operations Officer, ENISA

This panel convenes high-level cyber experts to address escalating cyber aggression from nation-states that increasingly disregard international cyber norms in order to conduct espionage and attack critical infrastructure. As hostile regimes exploit digital technologies, carry out damaging cyber-attacks, and now, leverage AI, defenders face the complex challenge of countering asymmetric warfare while upholding civil liberties and defending their citizens.

The panel will explore strategies for resilience, examining how to protect essential services in an era of persistent conflict. Ultimately, the session seeks to answer how defenders can secure their digital front lines without compromising the very values they are seeking to protect.

Strategic Cyber Resilience: The New Front Line Against Nation-State Warfare (fireside chat)
Thomas Hemker – Security CTO, Cyber Risk Advisor, Guter Hafen Cyber-Sicherheit
Colonel Mietta Groeneveld, Director of NATO Command and Control Centre of Excellence

As state actors blur the lines between cyber warfare and cybercrime, adopting sophisticated AI-driven tactics targeting supply chains and critical infrastructure, traditional defense-focused security models prove insufficient. The demand for advanced, resilient security architectures has never been greater. This panel will discuss cyber resilience as the cornerstone of modern defense strategy, transforming cybersecurity from cost center to competitive advantage.

Register and watch the conference taking place in Berlin, Germany, at the JW Marriott Hotel between May 19̶20, online.

*Based on Frost Radar™: Endpoint Security, 2025 (Frost & Sullivan), ESET is Europe’s largest cybersecurity vendor.

Learn more about ESET PRIVATE.

Read more about how ESET PRIVATE Industrial Security solves legacy OT security woes in the manufacturing sector.

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET Research uncovers CallPhantom scam on Google Play: Fake logs for real money

  • A new Android scam, CallPhantom, falsely claims to provide access to call logs, SMS records, and WhatsApp call history for any phone number in exchange for payment.
  • We identified and reported 28 separate CallPhantom apps on Google Play, cumulatively downloaded more than 7.3 million times.
  • Some CallPhantom apps sidestep Google Play’s official billing system, complicating victims’ refund efforts.

BRATISLAVA, KOŠICE — May 7, 2026 — ESET researchers have uncovered fraudulent apps on Google Play that claim to provide the call history “for any number.” The offending apps, which ESET named CallPhantom based on their false claims, purport to provide access to call histories, SMS records, and even WhatsApp call logs for any phone number. To unlock this supposed feature, users are asked to pay — but all they get in return is randomly generated data. ESET’s investigation identified 28 such fraudulent apps, cumulatively downloaded more than 7.3 million times. As an App Defense Alliance partner, we reported our findings to Google, which removed all of the apps identified in this report from Google Play. 

The CallPhantom apps mainly targeted Android users in India and the broader Asia Pacific region. Many of the apps came with India’s +91 country code preselected, and support UPI, a payment system used primarily in India.

“In November 2025, we came across a Reddit post discussing an app named Call History of Any Number, found on Google Play. Unsurprisingly, our analysis showed that the ‘call history’ data provided by this app is entirely fabricated — the app generates random phone numbers and matches them with fixed names, call times, and call durations, which were embedded directly in the code,” says ESET researcher Lukáš Štefanko, who uncovered the CallPhantom fraud.

In general, CallPhantom apps have a simple user interface and do not request any intrusive or sensitive permissions — they don’t need to. Coincidentally, they do not contain any functionality capable of retrieving actual call, SMS, or WhatsApp data.
In the CallPhantom apps ESET analyzed, researchers saw three different payment methods used, two of which are in violation of Google Play’s payments policy. Some of the apps relied on subscriptions via Google Play’s official billing system. Others relied on payments via a third party; in some cases, payment card checkout forms were included directly in the CallPhantom apps.

The fees requested for the fake service differ widely across the apps. The apps also appear to offer different subscription packages, such as weekly, monthly, or yearly services, with the highest requested price sitting at US$80. For the lowest “subscription tier,” the average requested price was €5.

In general, subscriptions purchased through the official Google Play billing system can be canceled. For the 28 apps described in this blog post, existing subscriptions were canceled when the apps were removed from Google Play. In some cases, refunds for Google Play purchases are possible.

If the purchase was made outside of Google Play — for example, by entering payment card details inside the app or by paying via third-party services — then Google cannot cancel the subscription or issue a refund, and users have to contact their payment provider.

For a more details about CallPhantom, check out the latest ESET Research blog post, “Fake call logs, real payments: How CallPhantom tricks Android users,” on WeLiveSecurity.com. Make sure to follow ESET Research on Twitter (today known as X), BlueSky, and Mastodon for the latest news from ESET Research.

Examples of CallPhantom apps found on Google Play

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET Research: New NGate hides in NFC payment app, possibly built with AI

  • ESET researchers discovered a new NGate malware variant abusing the legitimate Android HandyPay application.
  • To trojanize HandyPay, threat actors most likely used GenAI.
  • The campaign has been ongoing since November 2025 and targets Android users in Brazil.
  • ESET investigated two NGate samples being distributed in the attacks: one via a fake lottery website, the other through a fake Google Play website.

BRATISLAVA — April 21, 2026 — ESET Research has discovered a new variant of the NGate malware family that abuses a legitimate Android application called HandyPay, instead of the previously leveraged NFCGate tool. The threat actors took the app, which is used to relay NFC data, and patched it with malicious code that appears to have been AI generated. As with previous iterations of NGate, the malicious code allows the attackers to transfer NFC data from the victim’s payment card to their own device and use them for contactless ATM cash-outs and unauthorized payments. Additionally, the code can capture the victims’ payment card PINs and exfiltrate them to the operators’ C&C server. The primary targets of this are users in Brazil; however, NFC-based attacks are expanding into new regions.

The malicious code used to trojanize HandyPay shows signs of having been produced with the help of GenAI tools. Specifically, the malware logs contain an emoji typical of AI-generated text, suggesting that LLMs were involved in generating or modifying the code, although definitive proof remains elusive. This fits a broader trend in which GenAI lowers the barrier to entry for cybercriminals, enabling threat actors with limited technical skill to produce workable malware.

ESET Research believes that the campaign distributing the trojanized HandyPay began around November 2025 and remains active. It should also be noted that the maliciously patched version of HandyPay has never been available on the official Google Play store. As an App Defense Alliance partner, we shared our findings with Google. ESET also reached out to the HandyPay developers to alert them about the malicious use of their application.

As the number of NFC threats keeps rising, so too has the ecosystem supporting them become more robust. The first NGate attacks employed the open-source NFCGate tool to facilitate the transfer of NFC data. Since then, several malware-as-a-service (MaaS) offerings with similar functionality have become available for purchase. However, in this campaign the threat actors decided to go with their own solution and maliciously patched an existing app – HandyPay.

“Why did the operators of this campaign decide to trojanize the HandyPay app instead of going with an established solution for relaying NFC data? The answer is simple: money. The subscription fees for existing MaaS kits run in the hundreds of dollars: NFU Pay advertises its product for almost US$400 per month, while TX-NFC goes for around US$500 per month. On the other hand, the legitimate HandyPay app is significantly cheaper, only asking for a €9.99 per month donation, if even that. In addition to the price, HandyPay natively does not require any permissions, only to be made the default payment app, helping the threat actors avoid raising suspicion,” says ESET researcher Lukáš Štefanko, who discovered the new NGate variant in the trojanized NFC payment app.

The first new NGate sample is distributed through a website that impersonates Rio de Prêmios, a lottery run by the Rio de Janeiro state lottery organization (Loterj). The second NGate sample is distributed via a fake Google Play web page as an app named Proteção Cartão (machine translation: Card Protection). Both sites were hosted on the same domain, strongly implying a single threat actor. The malware abuses the HandyPay service to forward NFC card data to an attacker-controlled device. Apart from relaying NFC data, the malicious code also steals payment card PINs, enabling the threat actor to use the victim’s payment card data to withdraw cash from ATMs.

For a more detailed analysis of the new NGate variant, check out the latest ESET Research blog post, “New NGate variant hides in a trojanized NFC payment app,” on WeLiveSecurity.com. Make sure to follow ESET Research on Twitter (today known as X), BlueSky, and Mastodon for the latest news from ESET Research.

Geographical distribution of NGate attacks from January 2025 to February 2026

Map of the geographical distribution of NGate attacks from January 2025 to February 2026

 

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET finds that SMBs currently leverage cyber insurance to arm against attacks, report incidents and improve resilience

SAN DIEGO & TORONTO — April 16, 2026 — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, today released its 2026 SMB Cyber Readiness Index – North America edition. This new report surveyed hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) from across the United States and Canada to uncover new insights into their cyber resilience, incidents and reporting, perceived threats, and investments – while analyzing the current appetite for managed services, cyber insurance and AI-powered applications.

In this new report, 87% of U.S. and 83% of Canadian SMBs said that they feel slightly to very confident that their business is cyber resilient. Across both countries, cyber resilience confidence rose to 91% and 88%, respectively, for businesses that had more than one cyber incident in the last year (over businesses that had zero or one incident during that timeframe). Across both regions, about half of respondents (47% in the U.S. and 52% in Canada) said that they don’t expect a change in cybersecurity budget this year.

“SMBs in the U.S. and Canada are entering a new phase of cybersecurity where attacks are becoming the new norm and an expected part of business operations,” said Tony Anscombe, Chief Security Evangelist at ESET. “We’ve seen significant shifts in how SMBs perceive today’s risks and how they prepare for them, relying more on cyber insurers to provide cybersecurity services and as a core part of their resilience strategy. While SMBs are worried about headline catching AI‑driven threats, most breaches are still a result of social engineering coupled with human error – including phishing, credential compromise and third party/supply chain risk.”

In order to manage cyber-attacks, SMBs are increasingly including cyber insurance in their resilience strategies to ensure compliance, financial stability and peace of mind when incidents occur. Today, 86% of U.S. SMBs carry cyber insurance, with over half deploying specific security controls (e.g., MFA, IAM, EDR/MDR) as part of their coverage conditions. Canadian SMBs only trail slightly with 78% carrying cyber insurance. In both countries, respondents who have had more than one incident are more likely to carry insurance.

On the AI front, Canadians are more cautious about the deployment of new AI applications than their U.S. counterparts. 69% of Canadian respondents said that they are integrating AI applications into their organization compared to 81% of U.S. respondents.

The 2026 Index surveyed 700 cybersecurity decision-makers across U.S. and Canadian organizations with 25 to 1,000 endpoints, uncovering new insights into SMB cyber readiness, incident response, cybersecurity tools and management, insurance and compliance, AI strategy, and more. Here are some additional highlights from the report released today:

“Perception vs. Reality”: Are SMBs worried about the right threats? 

  • SMBs across the U.S. (32%) and Canada (34%) say AI-powered malware is their top concern for the year ahead, a signal of how dominant AI has become in headlines and boardroom conversations.
  • But the actual causes of breaches paint a very different picture. In the U.S., the leading drivers of cyber incidents remain phishing (27%), lack of security monitoring (27%) and unpatched security vulnerabilities (25%). In Canada, attacks most often stem from phishing (21%), weak passwords (20%), and insufficient security monitoring (20%).
  • Meanwhile, one of the most consequential risks, supply chain compromise, barely registers among SMBs’ top concerns in the survey, ranking eighth (17%) among U.S. respondents and 10th (16%) for Canadians – despite the potential for widespread downstream impact.
  • Finally, 82% of U.S. and Canadian SMBs agree that cyber warfare and global conflict pose a real threat to their business, underscoring how interconnected today’s risks are.

Cyber insurance is influencing security behavior

  • Incident experience is a major driver of cyber risk insurance adoption: 95% of U.S. and 92% of Canadian SMBs that suffered multiple incidents carry insurance, compared to 77% of U.S. and 68% of Canadian businesses with no incidents.
  • In both markets, insurers are playing a more direct role in shaping security posture: 55% of insured U.S. SMBs and 41% of insured Canadian SMBs are required to implement specific controls, often involving continuous monitoring or MDR‑style services, as a condition of coverage.
  • Of SMBs surveyed, 16% U.S. and 19% of Canadian respondents say that they outsource some or all of their cybersecurity. Of the U.S. companies that outsource, 35% of SMBs now outsource security to a cyber insurer offering MDR, 21% use an MDR vendor, 17% rely on an MSP/MSSP with MDR, and 27% still use a traditional MSP.
  • Of the Canadian companies who outsource, 27% of SMBs now outsource security to a cyber insurer offering MDR, 8% use an MDR vendor, 27% rely on an MSP/MSSP with MDR, and 38% still use a traditional MSP.

Anscombe noted, “In cybersecurity, diversity is necessary to achieve a resilient ecosystem. While it’s heartening to see SMBs adopt cyber risk insurance, there needs to be greater awareness of potential monoculture issues as North American cyber insurers that provide managed services typically offer a limited choice of services and products. In fact, 72% and 66% of US and Canadian businesses respectively are concerned with the implications of single vendor ecosystems (i.e., security monocultures).”

Confidence rising meets increasing attacks

  • Even as confidence rises, cyberattacks remain widespread across the U.S. and Canada, reinforcing the sense that cybersecurity incidents are now an inevitable part of doing business.
  • In the U.S., 54% of SMBs experienced an incident in the past 12 months, including 22% who faced multiple breaches. Canada shows a similar trend, with 46% reporting at least one incident and 12% experiencing more than one. These numbers highlight how frequently SMBs are being targeted and successfully compromised, despite increased awareness and stronger budgets.
  • This growing prevalence is shaping how SMBs think about risk, pushing many to build processes that assume disruption rather than hope to avoid it altogether. In fact, organizations with multiple incidents show the highest confidence levels. In the U.S., 52% of those with repeat incidents (and 42% of Canadians) identify as “very confident,” compared to firms with only one or no incidents.
  • These repeatedly targeted organizations also report the strongest budgets, with 45% of U.S. SMBs in this category describing their cybersecurity funding as “more than sufficient” and expecting additional investment increases. Canadian firms were less enthusiastic with their budget – with 25% identifying their budgets as “more than sufficient.”
  • Finally, cybersecurity confidence does not always correlate with company size in the United States. Larger U.S. SMBs (500–1,000 endpoints) are less likely to deploy advanced, proactive measures such as threat detection and response (24%) than smaller SMBs (34%), indicating that operational complexity may be outpacing modernization efforts even as confidence rises.

SMBs are still investing in awareness & training

  • Across both the U.S. and Canada, cyber awareness training emerges as the top investment priority for the year ahead, reinforcing the reality that human error remains the most exploited weakness in today’s attacks.
  • Over 90% of SMBs in both countries say training is “critical” or “very important,” with 42% of U.S. SMBs and 43% of Canadian SMBs planning to increase these investments in the next 12 months—making it the leading budget category in both markets.
  • Nearly half of SMBs now go beyond basic training: 44% of U.S. organizations and 47% in Canada use structured programs that include phishing simulations, a shift likely driven by rising concern over AI‑driven phishing techniques and deepfake‑enabled impersonation threats.
  • This emphasis on strengthening the human layer aligns closely with incident data, as phishing remains a top cause of breaches (27% in the U.S., 21% in Canada), underscoring why SMBs continue to invest heavily in awareness, behavior change, and simulation‑based resilience.

“Confidence is growing, but the reality is that most breaches still come from preventable issues like phishing, weak passwords, and monitoring gaps,” said Anscombe. “If cyberattacks are the new normal, then getting the fundamentals right matters more than ever.”

ESET’s 2026 SMB Cyber Readiness Index surveyed 700 cybersecurity decision‑makers across the United States and Canada in industries such as manufacturing, construction, healthcare, retail, telecommunications, transportation, and more. This included 500 respondents from the United States and 200 from Canada with 25 to 1,000 endpoints. Notably, 67% of U.S. respondents and 51% of Canadian respondents were their company’s primary decision makers for cybersecurity.

For media who would like to see the SMB data or to set up an interview, please reach out to pr@eset.com.

 

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET previews new AI security features to secure chatbot communications and AI workflows

  • Showcased at RSAC 2026, ESET’s upcoming AI security features will protect the full AI conversation flow by scanning both prompts and responses to reduce data exposure and compliance risks.
  • Built as browser security features, they will shield against malicious links, scripts, and content generated by LLMs and prevent upload of sensitive and confidential data into public AI systems.
  • ESET also presented its new endpoint security capabilities designed to secure personal AI assistants from AI supply chain attacks while creating a free, public ESET AI Skills Checker to detect risky and malicious behavior of AI skills before deployment.

San Diego, Calif. — Apr. 2, 2026 —ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, today announced upcoming AI protection capabilities designed to safeguard how employees interact with AI tools. Demonstrated at RSAC 2026 and set to launch later this year, the new features will expand visibility in the ESET PROTECT Platform to investigate emerging risks tied to everyday AI usage and agentic AI adoption across an enterprise.

“As companies rely more on AI for productivity and automation, they face growing risks around sensitive data exposure, compliance violations, and misleading outputs,” said Juraj Jánošík, ESET Director of Artificial Intelligence. “Agentic AI is shifting the security battlefield back to the endpoint. ESET has spent over 30 years building leading endpoint protection powered by AI and machine learning, so we’re uniquely positioned to help organizations secure this next wave of AI right where it starts.”

As AI tools become embedded in everyday workflows, many employees are using open cloud chatbots without IT oversight, creating “shadow AI” risks and exposing sensitive data such as internal documents, API keys, secrets, and credentials. ESET addresses this through various technologies that get as close to the source as possible, one of which is a secure browser technology that intercepts AI interactions and analyzes both prompts and responses in real time, helping prevent data exposure and detect malicious or misleading content before it impacts users.

In demonstrations at RSAC 2026, the new AI protection feature flagged malicious URLs submitted through chatbot prompts, logging activity at the endpoint and surfacing it in the ESET PROTECT Platform for investigation. The same approach applies to prompt injection attempts, scripts, and sensitive data inputs, enabling organizations to block or monitor activity in accordance with their policies. Security teams will gain visibility into how AI tools are used across their organization through ESET PROTECT Platform logging, helping them investigate risks and enforce policies more effectively.

As organizations expand their use of agentic AI tools, the attack surface is extending beyond chatbot interactions to include emerging AI supply chain risks. These include compromised AI frameworks and tools, such as trojanized components in widely used libraries like LiteLLM, as well as autonomous agents like OpenClaw that can execute actions on a system with limited oversight. ESET has already been protecting its customers from supply-chain attacks through compromised libraries delivered via standard repositories but is noting a rise in these types of attacks and remains committed to further research and development relating to AI tools.

As part of its broader AI security innovation, ESET launched a free ESET AI Skills Checker at RSAC 2026. Available to non-ESET customers and built on the same technology as ESET’s endpoint security products and ESET LiveGuard, the scanner analyzes AI skills for hidden instructions, malicious code, and risky behavior, using multilayered inspection and cloud-based sandboxing. It is currently available as a built-in feature for existing ESET Endpoint users.

For more than 30 years, ESET has pioneered lightweight, high‑performance endpoint security powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence. These new capabilities extend that foundation by helping organizations defend against today’s rapidly shifting threat landscape, where cybercriminals increasingly harness AI to scale attacks, target employees, and automate sophisticated social engineering.

As the only dedicated cybersecurity member of the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF), ESET is also working to secure emerging AI agent communication protocols through collaboration with industry leaders like OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, and Anthropic. Together, the group is working to establish trusted standards, secure protocol designs, and best practices for AI agent interoperability.

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET Launches AI-Powered MDR Service in APAC with Industry-Leading 6-Minute Response Time

ESET MDR delivers industry-leading real-time detection and a mean-time-to-respond (MTTR) of 6 minutes to keep businesses secure 

Hong Kong, 1 April 2026 – ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today announced the launch of two Managed Detection and Response (MDR) subscription tiers: ESET PROTECT MDR for small and medium businesses (SMBs) and ESET PROTECT MDR Ultimate for enterprises across Asia Pacific (APAC) including Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The MDR subscription tiers were previously launched in Australia, India, and Singapore.

Bridging the gap with MDR

ESET PROTECT MDR delivers a comprehensive cybersecurity package, offering 24/7/365 superior protection. This includes modern protection for endpoints, email, and cloud applications, vulnerability detection and patching, and managed threat monitoring, hunting, and response. For enterprises, ESET PROTECT MDR Ultimate offers continuous proactive protection and enhanced visibility, coupled with customised threat hunting and remote digital forensic incident response assistance.

ESET’s latest APAC SMB Cybersecurity Report revealed that 70% of respondents are targets of cyberattacks despite high confidence in cybersecurity. 50% rate lacking a dedicated cybersecurity team and keeping up with the latest threats as one of the top three cybersecurity challenges. APAC also faces the largest shortage of cybersecurity experts in the world. These highlight the urgent need for skilled
cybersecurity professionals and managed services that can help bridge the country’s growing talent gap. ESET’s MDR services ensure organisations of all sizes and cybersecurity maturity to stay one step ahead of all known and emerging threats, effectively closing the cybersecurity talent gap, and facilitating expert consultations for incident management and containment in a fully managed experience.

ESET MDR delivers a remarkable 6-minute Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) — the fastest in the industry*. In comparison, the median time for organizations to detect a breach is 24 days**, leaving critical systems and data exposed for weeks. Every hour that a breach goes undetected dramatically increases the risk of data loss, operational disruption, and financial damage.

“Cyber threats are evolving in both speed and sophistication, particularly across highly digitalised economies in APAC,” said Parvinder Walia, President of APAC Region, ESET. “Our AI-powered MDR services bring together automation, human expertise and global threat intelligence to help organisations stay ahead of attacks rather than react to them. In today’s environment, the ability to detect and respond within minutes can be the difference between a minor incident and a significant breach.”

ESET’S MDR services Meet the Unique Challenges of MSPs

ESET recognises the growing pressures facing MSPs who must balance the critical task of securing clients’ complex IT environments with their own business growth and operations. With threat actors going heavy on supply-chain attacks and abusing MSP tooling, MSPs too find themselves fixed in the crosshairs of cybercriminals. Simply put, MSPs are not only potential victims, but also potential accessories to a crime. To help MSPs fulfill their security potential, ESET’s MDR is also designed to be deployed in an MSP environment with a single solitary security service, available 24/7 that help MSPs to secure themselves as well as their clients.

Premium Support for Maximum Protection and Seamless Operations

As part of the new MDR subscription tiers, customers also benefit from a comprehensive support service designed to maximise protection levels while reducing the risk of operational interruption, including:

ESET Premium Support (included with ESET PROTECT MDR)

  • A guaranteed and accelerated product support package including fast and detailed analysis of any problem
  • 24/7 high-priority support from ESET cybersecurity experts to rapidly address issues and minimise downtime

ESET Premium Support Ultimate (included with ESET PROTECT MDR Ultimate customers)

  • Includes all the benefits of ESET Premium Support, with even quicker response time
  • Deployment and Upgrade services, with installation performed by ESET experts to ensure optimal implementation and effective functioning of ESET solutions
  • Health Check services, with evaluations conducted by ESET experts to maximise product performance and deliver full operational value

For more information, please visit https://www.eset.com/sg/business/services/managed-detection-and-response.

*Based on publicly available information as of 1 March 2026.
**Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.