ESET Becomes Founding Member of App Defense Alliance; ESET to Proactively Protect Mobile Applications on the Google Play Store

ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, today announced it has become a founding member of the App Defense Alliance to protect the Google Play Store. ESET will provide its award-winning detection capabilities and improved security for the Android ecosystem and will continue to spearhead investigations that make the Google Play Store safer. ESET is an inaugural member and will begin its work in the Alliance on November 6, 2019.

This extraordinary alliance complements the existing partnerships that ESET currently has with Google, including the integration with Chronicle, a division of Google Cloud, and the embedded ESET engine in Google Chrome Cleanup, a security tool that alerts Google Chrome users to potential threats.

"What was previously a reactive effort to catch security vulnerabilities is now a full-fledged and proactive campaign to protect billions of consumers and businesses at the source," said Tony Anscombe, global security evangelist and industry partnership ambassador, ESET. "ESET has constantly been on the forefront of threat research. Together with Google, ESET and the other App Defense Alliance members will be able to provide Google with the information to eliminate threats and help Android users stay one step ahead of cybercriminals."

ESET was handpicked by Google based upon its expertise with uncovering malicious apps in the Google Play Store, which has been well documented over the years. With the discovery of unique banking trojans, spyware and ransomware, ESET has helped to identify some of the most sophisticated threats targeting Android mobile devices. With this monumental partnership, ESET's research teams will be intimately involved with the analysis of all applications and help to proactively protect the users of the Google Play Store. As part of this collaboration, ESET will share with Google its determinations on apps it detects as malicious, potentially harmful or unwanted, prior to the app being published on the Google Play Store.

Almost 40 percent of ESET's employees work in research and development, keeping both ESET customers and the world at large safe from the latest and most advanced cyber threats. With more than 30 years of cybersecurity innovation, ESET takes a multilayered approach to cybersecurity, protecting over 110 million users in 200 countries and territories globally. ESET regularly publishes threat research at WeLiveSecurity.

"For years, Google has worked extensively with members of the cybersecurity community to protect both businesses and consumers online, and today's news is the latest example of this collaboration," said Dave Kleidenmacher, head of Android security and privacy at Google. "Partnering with a respected member of the cybersecurity industry like ESET will enhance the protection of the Google Play ecosystem, and we look forward to seeing what our teams are able to accomplish together."

For more information about how ESET is helping to protect the Google Play Store, visit the App Defense Alliance site, here.

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 and mobile security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET's high-performing, easy-to-use products give consumers 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 centers 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. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.