A coalition of security-software companies, testing firms and
information-technology publications issued on Monday two documents
setting out guidelines for testing antivirus scanners and malware
defenses.
The recently-formed group, known as the Anti-Malware Testing Standard Organization (AMTSO), published The Fundamental Principles of Testing and Best Practices for Dynamic Testing
on its Web site. Among the principles espoused by the organizations are
open and transparent testing, the validation of test sample to classify
their malicious nature, and verifying the statistic validity of the
tests. The testing guidelines stress that any battery of tests must
deliver reproducible results, recommends against the use of virtual
machines and to define different levels of success.
http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/852