Even accounting for some rumors there is still no reason to believe that a tester cannot submit his/her own test to the RAB by themselves.
Besides with so many rumors and uncertainties about a yet to be defined “compliance” it looks that AMTSO members will have to find common grounds in forthcoming meetings as it appear that even the Review process is expected to change.
Anything else appear a moot point…
I understand that the NSS Labs tests are currently being looked at formally by the AMTSO Review Analysis Board.
There isn’t a formal process for any tester to demonstrate “compliance” voluntarily right now. But there isn’t, as far as I can see, anything to stop a tester asking for a review analysis for a test that’s taken place, either. But that would, at best, validate a specific test, not the testing organization.
The way I read David Harley’s comments, AMTSO might well take several steps towards a tester being able to demonstrate intent to comply at its next meeting, but that’s a lot different to some form of certification, and I can’t see AMTSO being able to offer certification as things are: it doesn’t have the resources.
The arguments here about static versus dynamic puzzle me. You can run a static test and still be compliant, and a dynamic test can be non-compliant. Obviously a test can also be dynamic yet not give a well-rounded view of a product’s abilities: that’s one of the complaints vendors have made about the NSS tests. But if dynamic tests are resource intensive, “full product” tests are even more so.
AMTSO seems interested in persuading the testers to use dynamic testing wherever practical, but that doesn’t mean that all tests are now required to be dynamic. There’s nothing in the principles to stop a tester focusing on one aspect of a product as long as he tests properly, his conclusions are consistent with the data, and so on.
Thank you for this!
We wish NSS Labs all the best and hope that they can be the first one to get a green light from the review board. Comodo will sure to be knocking on NSS’s door as soon as they get a green light.
thanks
Melih