Emsisoft Anti-Malware Secures VB100 Certification in September 2026 Evaluation

Virus Bulletin has published the results of its latest VB100 test, and Emsisoft Anti-Malware has once again passed certification. The test was carried out on September 3, 2026, using VB100 methodology version 1.7 on Microsoft Windows 11 Pro (64-bit). The evaluated build was Emsisoft Anti-Malware version 2026.1.0.12700.

How VB100 Works

VB100 is one of the longest-running independent certification programs in the security industry, administered by Virus Bulletin since 1998. It assesses two things: whether a product can reliably detect common and prevalent Windows malware, and whether it can do so without flagging legitimate software.

Certification requires meeting both of the following criteria:

• Detect at least 75% of the malware samples in the certification set
• Generate false alarms on no more than 0.05% of the files in the clean set

Products that clear these thresholds receive a detection grade ranging from A+ (99.5% or higher) down to D (75–84%). Grade A begins at 97% detection. All testing is conducted in line with the AMTSO Standard, which ensures the methodology is transparent, documented, and reproducible.

September 2026 Test Results

The 96.88% detection rate sits at the upper end of the Grade B band (90–97%), falling just 0.12 percentage points short of the Grade A threshold.

The clean set result is unambiguous: zero false alarms. Not a single legitimate file was incorrectly flagged, meaning the product’s detection signatures and heuristics are precisely calibrated. Achieving high detection without penalizing legitimate software remains the central challenge in endpoint protection.

Read the full report here.

Why On-Demand Scanning Was Used

The report notes that all measurements were taken via on-demand scanning, as the product’s real-time protection is not compatible with VB100 test automation. This is a procedural constraint of the test environment, not a limitation of the product. The static detection engine being certified operates identically whether a scan is launched manually or triggered in real time by file system activity.

For context, the VB100 process models a multi-stage attack: samples are first downloaded and written to disk, executable files are launched in a suspended state so the product can act at the network, file write, or process creation stage, and a follow-up on-demand scan removes anything that remains. The files that are still present and unchanged after this sequence are counted as missed.

Conclusion

Passing the September 2026 test extends Emsisoft’s unbroken run of VB100 certifications. A Grade B result, comfortably above the 75% certification floor and paired with a flawless clean set, reflects a detection engine that continues to identify the large majority of prevalent threats while leaving legitimate software completely untouched.

Independent, standards-based testing remains the most reliable yardstick for endpoint protection, and consistent certification across successive rounds demonstrates sustained engineering discipline.