16 independent security awards show how Gen builds protection that scales
Security is changing quickly. So are the threats people face online. AI is accelerating that shift. Today’s attacks are more adaptive and harder to detect, from AI-generated scams to techniques that evolve in real time. Meeting that reality requires security that performs in everyday use, adapts as threats change and doesn’t add friction for the people relying on it.
At Gen, progress starts by listening to how people live online and what they encounter day to day. Customers experience these threats firsthand, and their feedback helps shape how we build and evolve our products. Independent testing then validates those decisions beyond our own walls, pressure-testing performance in real-world conditions and at scale.
That’s why recognition matters, not as an end goal, but as a signal that what we’re building is working where it counts. And helping the people we serve.
In 2025, across five key security vectors, Gen brands earned 16 independent awards from AV-Comparatives, one of the industry’s most rigorous testing organizations.
Five ways to measure security, not just one
Security leadership doesn’t show up in a single metric. It shows up across dimensions that often compete: protection strength, system performance, advanced threat response and long-term trust. This year, Gen brands were recognized across all five:
- Approved Security Product: Norton, Avast, AVG, Avira
- Top-Rated Products 2025: Norton, Avast, AVG
- Real-World Protection: Norton (Gold), Avira (Bronze)
- Overall Performance (Low System Impact): Avast (Gold), AVG (Gold), Norton (Silver)
- Advanced Threat Protection: Avast (Silver), AVG (Silver), Norton (Silver), Avira (Bronze)
In total, this represents 16 awards across four of our trusted brands: Norton, Avast, AVG, and Avira.
Why these signals matter
What these awards reflect isn’t just product excellence; it's evolution.
Threats are changing faster than ever. AI-powered scams, deepfakes and social engineering attacks don’t announce themselves. They blend in. They exploit trust. And they test whether security can keep up without slowing people down.
Being recognized for real-world protection means our products perform outside the lab.
Being recognized for low system impact means protection doesn’t come at the cost of performance.
Being recognized for advanced threat defense means we’re preparing for what’s next, not just reacting to what’s already known.
Ambitions for 2026 and beyond
Awards tell us where we stand. What matters next is how we apply what we’ve learned to the threats people are facing right now.
As scams, deepfakes and financial fraud become more frequent and more convincing, our focus has already shifted accordingly, and you can already experience this in our products.
That work is already underway:
- Investing in real-time, proactive scam and fraud protection, designed to help you spot scams so you can get on with life. This includes protection across the channels where scams most often surface (email, SMS, and calls).
- Using AI to respond to the growing sophistication of AI-driven threats, moving beyond link scanning to understand the intent and tactics behind a message and helping people decide what to do next with clarity and context.
- Advancing deepfake detection and protection, including recent collaboration with Intel at CES, and leveraging the growing capabilities of Intel and Qualcomm AI PCs, enabling faster, always-on detection that proactively protects against today's most sophisticated scams.
As the threat landscape continues to change, our direction is clear: focus on the risks that matter most to people, respond before harm occurs and build protection that works in practice, not just in theory.
