Not many companies were started because of a virus, but San
Diego-based Eset Software >www.eset.com< likes to be unique. CEO Anton
Zajac chats about theoretical physics, proactive detection, and a
certain special folder that's near to his heart.
How did Eset get started, and what does the company do?
Eset was founded in 1992, inspired by the Vienna virus that appeared
four years prior. At that time, computer viruses were not viewed as
great threats. In fact, Peter Norton, later the founder of Symantec,
proclaimed computer viruses to be "urban legends like the crocodiles in
the New York sewers."
Since its inception, Eset has focused on the development of
innovative antivirus solutions. Since May 1998, our product, NOD32, has
been the only antivirus solution that has never missed an "In the Wild"
virus used in tests conducted by Virus Bulletin, an independent
antivirus testing organization. In addition, Eset maintains strong
partnerships with major corporations like Canon, Dell and Microsoft, who
recognize the value of NOD32's unique combination of proactive detection
and fast scanning speed.
What got you personally interested in doing this work?
I'm driven by the thrill of overcoming any challenges that cross my
way. Witnessing the emergence of the Vienna virus and recognizing its
implications spurred my interest in the potentially devastating threat.
In essence, I was at the right place at the right time. So I put my
background in theoretical physics and programming and my management
experience to use and launched this company.
Why do you feel there's a need for what you provide?
The number of ways that viruses and other malware can spread and
targets they aim for are on the rise. As new viruses and new targets for
these viruses emerge, the need for proactive protection will always
exist.
The exponential growth of Eset over the last few years illustrates
this increasing demand for new generation antivirus protection. NOD32
provides customers with the highest ROI in the industry as a result of
increased user compliance, decreased downtime, and higher productivity.
What kind of challenges does your company face?
The ability to detect and stop new, unidentified e-mail and
Internet-borne malware is a challenge Eset shares with all other
antivirus vendors. New viruses require new defenses. Signature-based
scanners, without advanced heuristics detection, are no longer able to
protect PCs against unknown worms. Real-time protection against new
threats is what we are heavily focusing on in developing new versions of
our product. The results we have achieved indicate we have done a very
good job in this direction. NOD32 detects over 90 percent of e-mail
borne worms without any need to update the virus signature database.
This is a unique result and obviously stresses our challenge as well.
What do you like best about what you do?
I have a special folder on my computer dedicated to clients'
feedback. I enjoy reading the feedback we receive. It is rewarding to
know that our clients are satisfied and their networks and computers are
protected. And it's just as pleasing to hear when our clients are so
satisfied with our product that they are eager to recommend it to
others.
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