Antimalware Effectiveness Testing
You pay thousands annually for EDR/XDR, but does it actually stop attacks? We test detection against real ransomware techniques, fileless malware, living-off-the-land. Find out if your investment makes sense.
What is Antimalware Effectiveness Testing?
Antimalware Effectiveness Testing verifies whether your AV, EDR, or XDR solution actually detects and blocks modern attack techniques — not vendor demo scenarios — using custom malware, fileless payloads, and MITRE ATT&CK-based simulations across the full kill chain. nFlo delivers a detection rate percentage for each attack phase and provides tuning recommendations that often improve protection by 30–50% without replacing the existing solution.
EDR that doesn't detect attacks is false sense of security
Realistic threat detection testing
Real Malware
We test actual attack techniques
Evasion Techniques
Custom malware bypassing signatures
Detection Metrics
Specific % detection for each phase
€50,000/Year for EDR That Didn’t Detect Ransomware
Logistics company had enterprise EDR deployed from well-known vendor. Cost: €50,000/year for 500 endpoints. When they fell victim to ransomware, it turned out:
- EDR didn’t detect Cobalt Strike beacon (initial access)
- Didn’t alert on credential dumping (Mimikatz)
- Didn’t block lateral movement via PsExec
- First alert appeared only during encryption (too late)
Detection rate: 12% of attack phases. Incident cost: €450k. EDR was working, but was poorly configured and never tested.
Without antimalware effectiveness testing:
- False sense of security (“we have EDR so we’re protected”)
- No knowledge of actual detection rate for modern threats
- Misconfiguration (too many false positives → disabled alerts)
- Overpaying for solutions that don’t meet expectations
We Test Like Ransomware Gangs, Not Like Vendors During Demo
We don’t use publicly available samples from VirusTotal. We create custom malware and use techniques actually employed by attackers. We measure detection rate at every kill chain stage.
What you get:
- Detection testing for all MITRE ATT&CK phases
- Ransomware attack simulation (Cobalt Strike, Brute Ratel)
- Fileless malware and living-off-the-land technique tests
- Custom malware bypassing signature-based detection
- Response time verification (how fast alert → reaction)
- Detection testing in different modes (prevent vs detect-only)
- Comparison with competing solutions (if desired)
- Report with detection rate % for each technique
- Tuning recommendations (improvement without changing solution)
- Replacement recommendations (if solution is inadequate)
Who Is It For?
This service is for you if:
- You have AV/EDR/XDR deployed and want to check if it really protects
- You’re considering solution replacement and want to test alternatives
- Many false positives forced you to disable features - you want to fix it
- You need to document security effectiveness for audit/compliance
Testing Scope
Attack Phases (MITRE ATT&CK)
We test detection for each kill chain phase:
1. Initial Access
- Phishing attachments (macros, LNK, ISO)
- Exploit-based delivery
- Drive-by compromise
- Supply chain compromise
2. Execution
- PowerShell, WMI, scheduled tasks
- Native binaries (regsvr32, rundll32, mshta)
- Fileless execution in memory
- Scripting (JavaScript, VBScript, Python)
3. Persistence
- Registry run keys, startup folder
- Scheduled tasks, WMI event subscriptions
- DLL hijacking, COM hijacking
- Service creation
4. Privilege Escalation
- Bypass UAC
- Exploitation of vulnerabilities
- Token manipulation
- Access token theft
5. Defense Evasion
- Process injection, hollowing
- Obfuscation, packing
- Disabling security tools
- Masquerading, DLL side-loading
- AMSI bypass, ETW patching
6. Credential Access
- LSASS dumping (Mimikatz alternatives)
- SAM/NTDS extraction
- Credential harvesting from browsers
- Keylogging
7. Discovery
- Network scanning
- Account/group enumeration
- System information discovery
- Remote system discovery
8. Lateral Movement
- Pass-the-hash, pass-the-ticket
- Remote services (RDP, SMB, WinRM)
- Administrative tools (PsExec, WMI)
9. Collection & Exfiltration
- Data staging
- Archive collected data
- Exfiltration over C2 channel
- Exfiltration to cloud storage
10. Command & Control
- Common protocols (HTTP/S, DNS)
- Encrypted channels
- Domain fronting, CDN usage
- Multi-hop proxies
11. Impact
- Data encryption (ransomware)
- Service stop
- Data destruction
- Defacement
Tested Threat Types
Commercial C2 Frameworks
- Cobalt Strike
- Brute Ratel
- Sliver
- Metasploit
Ransomware Simulators
- Behavior simulation (without actual encryption)
- Real ransomware in sandbox (if agreed)
Custom Malware
- Poly-/metamorphic malware
- Obfuscated payloads
- Custom packers
- Shellcode loaders
Living-off-the-Land
- LOLBins (signed Microsoft binaries)
- PowerShell-based attacks
- WMI abuse
- Native Windows tools
Metrics
For each technique we measure:
- Detection - did it detect (yes/no)
- Prevention - did it block (if in prevent mode)
- Time to Alert - time from execution to alert
- Alert Quality - is alert actionable
- False Positive Rate - for given category
Deliverables
Technical Report
- Detailed list of tested techniques
- Detection rate % for each MITRE ATT&CK category
- Attack and alert timeline
- Bypass examples (bypass techniques)
- Tuning recommendations
Executive Summary
- Overall detection score
- Industry benchmarks comparison
- Business risk assessment
- ROI analysis (worth replacing/tuning)
Recommendations
- Specific configuration changes
- Policy adjustments
- Integration improvements (SIEM, SOAR)
- Alternative solutions (if current inadequate)
Related Glossary Terms
Learn more about key concepts related to this service:
Contact your account manager
Discuss Antimalware Effectiveness Testing with your dedicated account manager.
How we work
Our proven service delivery process.
Baseline
Verify current AV/EDR configuration
Threat Simulation
MITRE ATT&CK attack simulation
Evasion Testing
Custom malware and bypass techniques
Report with Metrics
Detection rate % and tuning recommendations
Benefits for your business
What you gain by choosing this service.
Know You're Protected
Verify AV/EDR effectiveness in practice
Cost Optimization
Pay for protection that actually works
Better Tuning
Improve detection without replacing solution
Compliance
Document security effectiveness for audits
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Read more →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Antimalware Effectiveness Testing.
Can the tests damage our production systems?
No, tests are conducted in controlled conditions using ransomware simulators (without actual encryption) and custom malware designed for testing. The scope and test environment are agreed upon before starting.
What do you measure and what metrics do I get in the report?
For each MITRE ATT&CK technique we measure: whether the EDR detected the threat, whether it blocked execution, time from execution to alert, alert quality and false positive rate. The report contains detection rate % for each kill chain phase.
Can I compare my current solution with a competitor's?
Yes, upon request we test alternative EDR/XDR solutions in the same environment and with the same techniques, enabling an objective comparison of detection rates and an informed decision about potential replacement.
How long do the tests take and what if the results show a low detection rate?
Tests take 5-10 business days. If the detection rate is low, we provide configuration tuning recommendations that often improve detection by 30-50% without replacing the solution. If the solution is inadequate, we recommend alternatives.