Qihoo launches a smartphone that comes only at a price of $64. (Photo : Reuters)
Qihoo 360 Technology Co. (Qihoo 360) denied the issue of its alleged cheating in the AV-Comparatives (AV-C) evaluation tests, adding that the news surfaced in favor of AV-C’s own commercial interests.
In a press conference held in Beijing on Monday, the Chinese security-selling firm clarified that the antivirus products it submitted to the security tests are the same items it offers to its users. Qihoo 360 said that the only difference was the default engine setting.
The company also recommended that China should have its own evaluation system and testing authorities that will cater to security products sold in the country.
The press conference came after Qihoo 360 announced its withdrawal from the tests being held by three international security-testing groups. The bodies said on Thursday that they will be revoking all the rankings and certifications handed to the company this year.
According to the security authorities, the company submitted items that contained an anti-malware engine. The engine, provided by Romania's Bitdefender, is disabled in Qihoo 360's market such as China.
However, Qihoo 360 vice president Yu Guangdong stated that the firm's antivirus products are equipped with various engines as part of the company's effort to adapt to different security threats in its market regions.
"Users can choose which engine they want to use. We submitted the antivirus products for tests with Bitdefender as the default engine, while we give our Chinese users a product with QVM as the default engine," the Qihoo 360 executive enthused.
"[This is] because Bitdefender is developed by a Western firm and has an advantage in Western countries, but the QVM engine developed by Qihoo 360 is more effective in China," Yu added.
Meanwhile, Qihoo 360 president Qi Xiangdong said that the ultimate reason for the dispute is the company's potential threat to the commercial interests of the testing bodies.
