VirusTotal, the renowned collaborative malware analysis platform, has unveiled a significant update aimed at simplifying access for individual researchers and rewarding engine partners who enrich the detection ecosystem.
The enhancements introduce four clear pricing tiers alongside a dedicated Contributor Tier, reinforcing the platform’s commitment to transparency, openness, and community-driven defense under the Google Threat Intelligence umbrella.
Streamlined Pricing for All Users
The revamped pricing structure comprises Community, Lite, Contributor, and Duet tiers, each tailored to distinct user groups.
The Community Tier remains free for individual researchers, educators, and academics, providing file and URL scanning, public API access, and community features at no cost.
Emerging from user feedback, the Lite Tier caters to small teams, startups, and non-commercial MSSPs by offering advanced search capabilities, YARA rule hunting, private API access, and direct file downloads.
Priced at USD 5,000 per year for low-volume API usage, Lite replaces previous complex options with straightforward, transparent pricing.
VirusTotal’s most notable addition is the Contributor Tier, designed to honor engine partners who submit detection engines, rules, and threat intelligence feeds.
Accepted contributors gain free access to blindspot feeds, exclusive discounts proportional to their contribution levels, and early access to new features.
This tier formalizes the collaboration framework, ensuring that those who actively enhance VirusTotal’s detection capabilities receive priority support and long-term recognition.
By incentivizing participation, VirusTotal bolsters its open model and sustains a robust, community-powered defense approach.
Tailored Solutions for Enterprise Needs
Recognizing the diverse requirements of large organizations, VirusTotal introduces the Duet Tier for extensive threat intelligence operations.
Duet delivers the complete feature set, including the highest API quotas, premium community intelligence, and customizable support.
Pricing is determined based on the number of affiliates covered and each organization’s platform contribution, allowing enterprises to scale usage as their security programs evolve.
This bespoke approach guarantees that enterprise customers receive dedicated assistance and the flexibility to adapt to growing security demands.
Bernardo Quintero, VirusTotal’s founder, emphasized that openness and collaboration remain at the heart of the platform’s mission.
Revisiting the 2016 principle of maintaining a healthy community, Quintero reaffirmed that security vendors must contribute detections to be included by default.
Organizations are now invited to apply as contributors, reinforcing VirusTotal’s ethos that shared contributions fortify public defense against malware.
With these updates, VirusTotal strikes a balance between simplicity for everyday users and robust support for engine partners and enterprise customers.
By streamlining access, formalizing contributor recognition, and tailoring enterprise solutions, the platform continues to unite the security community in the fight against emerging threats.
VirusTotal encourages researchers, developers, and vendors to embrace this next chapter of shared defense, underscoring a collective commitment to transparency and collaboration in malware analysis.
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