Industry affiliations

Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO)

AMTSO is dedicated to helping improve the objectivity, quality and relevance of anti-malware technology testing. AMTSO membership is open to industry-wide academics, reviewers, testers and vendors, subject to guidelines determined by AMTSO.

Anti-Phishing Working Group

The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) is focused on eliminating the problem of phishing and email spoofing attacks by developing and sharing information about the problem, and promoting the visibility and adoption of industry solutions. Membership in the group is open to qualified financial institutions, corporations, law enforcement agencies, public policy groups and solution vendors.

Anti-Spam Research Group (ASRG)

The Anti-Spam Research Group (ASRG) is part of the Internet Research Task Force, and focuses on the problem of unwanted email. The scale, growth, and effect of spam on the internet have generated considerable interest in addressing this problem. The purpose of the ASRG is to understand the problem and collectively propose and evaluate solutions to the problem.

Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC)

Sophos is a member of the Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC), a group dedicated to building a consensus about definitions and best practices in the debate surrounding spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies.

Composed of anti-spyware software companies, academics, and consumer groups, the ASC seeks to bring together a diverse array of perspective on the problem of controlling spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies.

AVAR

The Association of Anti-Virus Asia Researchers is dedicated to preventing the spread and damage caused by computer viruses, and to the development of co-operative relationships amongst anti-virus researchers in Asia.

AVI-EWS

The Anti-Virus Information & Early Warning System (AVI-EWS) is more than just an alerting system - it is the first real anti-virus community which includes not only vendor representatives but also specialists in client organizations.

Cert-IST

Cert-IST (Computer Emergency Response Team - Industrie Services et Tertiaire) is a member of FIRST (Forum for Incident Response and Security Teams). Cert-IST was created as a joint venture of major French companies wishing to optimise the incident handling of security holes and computer viruses.

Citrix

The Citrix Business Alliance program is designed for technology and business partners to leverage the Citrix marketplace by creating new and innovative solutions for the Enterprise.

Sophos is a member of the Citrix Business Alliance and is a Premier Business Alliance Partner of Citrix.

Citrix User Group

The UK Citrix User Group is designed to bring together Citrix end-users from around the UK to share their collective knowledge and experience and to provide a single source of reference.

Common Malware Enumeration (CME) Initiative

The CME initiative works with the anti-virus industry to provide the public with a common method for cross-referencing disparate virus names.

The CME initiative is an effort headed by the Department of Homeland Security's US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).

Sophos is a member of the CME editorial board.

EICAR

The European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research unites efforts against writing and proliferation of malicious code like computer viruses or trojan horses, and, against computer crime, fraud and the misuse of computers or networks.

ICAP

The Internet Content Adaptation Protocol (ICAP) enables enterprises to choose the best of breed applications and infrastructure. ICAP enables a new class of services by allowing site owners to offer Web applications closer to the user. ICAP is a lightweight and extensible point-to-point protocol that effectively adapts content for user needs.

Sophos is a member of the ICAP Forum, a group of vendors with a common desire to enable communication between edge devices and network-based applications. The forum believes that working together can accelerate the availability of solutions, make the problems that need to be addressed more understandable, and assist the standards community in the development of open standards.

ICSA Labs

ICSA Labs, a division of Cybertrust, has been the security industry's central authority for research, intelligence and product certification for over a decade. The ICSA Labs set performance standards for information security products and certify over 95% of the installed base of firewall, anti-virus, cryptography, and IPSec products. The ICSA Labs also leads security consortia that provide a forum for intelligence sharing among the leading vendors of security products.

Sophos submits its anti-virus products for certification by ICSA Labs, and are members of the Anti-Virus Product Developers Consortium.

Internet Industry Association

The IIA is Australia's national internet industry organization. The association provides policy input to government and speaks out on a range of business and regulatory issues. It promotes laws and initiatives which enhance access, equity, reliability and growth of the internet within Australia.

Internet Watch Foundation

Sophos is a member of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). The IWF is the only authorized organization in the UK which provides an internet hotline for the public to report their exposure to illegal content online.

The organization aims to minimize the availability of potentially illegal internet content such as child abuse images hosted anywhere in the world, criminally obscene content hosted in the UK, and criminally racist content hosted in the UK.

Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)

The Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) is a not-for-profit international organization of information security professionals and practitioners. Its primary goal is to promote management practices that will help its members to safeguard their organization's information and resources.

The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC)

The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) is the voice of the Canadian information and communications technologies industry in all sectors including telecommunications and Internet services, ICT consulting services, hardware, microelectronics, software and electronic content. ITAC aims to identify and lead on issues that affect the industry, and to advocate initiatives which will enable its continued growth and development.

The Mass Technology Leadership Council

Formed by the combination of Mass Software Council and New England Business and Technology Association, Inc., the organization is dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and promoting the success of companies that develop and deploy technology across industry sectors.

Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group

The Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG) is a global organization focusing on preserving electronic messaging from online exploits and abuse with the goal of enhancing user trust and confidence, while ensuring the deliverability of legitimate messages. With a broad base of ISPs and network operators representing over 600 million mailboxes, key technology providers and senders, MAAWG works to address messaging abuse by focusing on technology, industry collaboration and public policy initiatives.

Microsoft Virus Information Alliance

Sophos is a member of the Virus Information Alliance, an industry initiative founded by Microsoft Corp. and consisting of leading anti-virus vendors. The alliance aims to provide Microsoft customers with accurate and relevant information about the latest virus threats affecting Microsoft technology.

Novell

The Novell Ready Program allows for the certification of products that have been tested for compatibility with SUSE LINUX.

Sophos PureMessage for UNIX has received Novell's 'Ready for SUSE LINUX' certification. In addition, Sophos is a Novell PartnerNet Technology Partner.

Red Hat

The Red Hat Ready Program allows for the certification of products that have been tested for compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Sophos PureMessage for UNIX has received 'Red Hat Ready' certification.

SecureIT Alliance

Sophos is a member of the SecureIT Alliance, an industry initiative designed to help improve security for businesses running Microsoft operating systems.

TSANet

Sophos is a member of TSANet, the largest multi-vendor support alliance in the technology industry. TSANet assists the technical support departments of different vendors to work co-operatively around mutual customer issues, and helps ensure fast resolution for multi-vendor problems.

Virtual Global Taskforce

The Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) aims to reduce the impact and incidence of online child abuse, working with international law enforcement agencies to make the internet a safer place. Sophos actively supports the VGT's innovative crime prevention and reduction initiatives to prevent and deter individuals from committing online child abuse.

Virus Bulletin

Virus Bulletin is the international publication on computer virus prevention, recognition and removal. Sophos researchers have written many technical articles for Virus Bulletin as well as present papers at their annual conferences.

Sophos regularly submits its anti-virus products for testing by Virus Bulletin.

West Coast Checkmark

The West Coast Checkmark has been developed as an independent testing and standards organization delivering a high degree of confidence that those products and services which contain the Checkmark can be relied upon to an identified standard.

West Coast Labs test products at regular intervals against the individual testing criteria.

Sophos submits its anti-virus products for certification by West Coast Labs.

WildList organization

The WildList Organization provides accurate, timely and comprehensive information about "In the Wild" computer viruses to both users and product developers. The WildList, a list of computer viruses found in the wild and reported by a diverse group of over 80 qualified volunteers, is made available free of charge by the organization.