Emsisoft Ltd. (est. 2003) is a New Zealand-based

anti-virus Antivirus software (abbreviated to AV software), also known as anti-malware, is a computer program used to prevent, detect, and remove malware. Antivirus software was originally developed to detect and remove computer viruses, hence the name ...

software distributed company. They are notable for decrypting

ransomware Ransomware is a type of malware that Encryption, encrypts the victim's personal data until a ransom is paid. Difficult-to-trace Digital currency, digital currencies such as paysafecard or Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, cryptocurrencies are com ...

attacks to restore data.

History

Emsisoft is an

anti-malware Antivirus software (abbreviated to AV software), also known as anti-malware, is a computer program used to prevent, detect, and remove malware. Antivirus software was originally developed to detect and remove computer viruses, hence the name ...

and

cybersecurity Computer security (also cybersecurity, digital security, or information technology (IT) security) is a subdiscipline within the field of information security. It consists of the protection of computer software, systems and networks from thr ...

software and consulting company founded in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

in 2003 by Christian Mairoll. The company makes anti-malware software and

decryption In cryptography, encryption (more specifically, encoding) is the process of transforming information in a way that, ideally, only authorized parties can decode. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plai ...

tools used by companies and individuals to help them recover computer files encrypted in ransomware attacks. It also tracks and generates studies on ransomware attacks. Mairoll, who is CEO, relocated to rural New Zealand in 2014, moving Emsisoft’s headquarters to the country, while its employees across Europe, Asia and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

remained remote. In 2019, Emsisoft donated decryption tools to

Europol Europol, officially the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, is the law enforcement agency of the European Union (EU). Established in 1998, it is based in The Hague, Netherlands, and serves as the central hub for coordinating c ...

's ''No More Ransom'' project. The company’s decryption tools were also used to help resolve the Kaseya VSA ransomware attack, DarkSide and BlackMatter ransomware attacks against dozens of companies across the U.S., Europe and Britain in 2021. Ireland’s National Cyber Security Centre used Emsisoft’s decryption tools in May 2021 to help the country's health service department recover from a ransomware attack. In early 2021, Emsisoft suffered a system data breach due to a configuration error, leading to the release of a database containing log records, including email addresses, generated by Emsisoft, that were accessed by at least one unauthorized individual. After detecting the attack, Emsisoft implemented security mechanisms, including disconnecting the compromised system and investigated the incident using forensic analysis. Customers were notified and Emsisoft issued a public apology for the incident.

Technology

Emsisoft's anti-malware technology is called Emsisoft Anti-Malware and has three versions: Anti-Malware Home, Business Security and Enterprise Security. The company also makes an extension for the web browsers

Google Chrome Google Chrome is a web browser developed by Google. It was first released in 2008 for Microsoft Windows, built with free software components from Apple WebKit and Mozilla Firefox. Versions were later released for Linux, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, an ...

Firefox Mozilla Firefox, or simply Firefox, is a free and open-source web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary, the Mozilla Corporation. It uses the Gecko rendering engine to display web pages, which implements curr ...

and

Microsoft Edge Microsoft Edge is a Proprietary Software, proprietary cross-platform software, cross-platform web browser created by Microsoft and based on the Chromium (web browser), Chromium open-source project, superseding Edge Legacy. In Windows 11, Edge ...

that enables blocking access to malicious and

phishing Phishing is a form of social engineering and a scam where attackers deceive people into revealing sensitive information or installing malware such as viruses, worms, adware, or ransomware. Phishing attacks have become increasingly sophisticate ...

websites.

References

{{reflist New Zealand companies established in 2003 Nelson, New Zealand Computer security companies New Zealand brands