TOP3 metric reflects the percentage of times
when a vendor gained one of top-three places in independent tests
within reported period (calendar year).
A list of AV vendors participating in
TOP3 measurements, includes (but not limited to): Avast, AVG, Avira,
BitDefender, BullGuard, ESET, F-Secure, G DATA, Kaspersky Lab, Intel
Security (McAfee), Microsoft, Panda Security, Sophos, Symantec, Trend
Micro, etc. Check the full list of vendors.
Only those who participate in 35% of tests or more have their
results represented in the chart to reflect equal opportunities in
calculation. Participation in any test affects two counters for each
vendor: TOP3 and Participation.
1. TOP3 counter for a vendor is incremented each time, once
the vendor gains any of the first three places or an award in a test. No
other places let the counter to be increased. In case several vendors
share the same place in a test, the next vendor’s place is calculated as
“amount of previous vendors + 1”. For instance, the following sequence
can exist: 1,2,2,4, while 1,2,2,3 can’t. It means that in the sequence
“1,2,2,4” only three first vendors get their TOP3 counters incremented.
There is an exception for tests with medals as a final result. In this
case several vendors can receive ‘Platinum’,‘Gold’, ‘Silver’, etc. And
three first medals will increment the vendor’s Participation counter in
TOP3. Each product of a vendor can increment its TOP3 counter on other
products independently.
2. Each time a product of a vendor participates in a
test/review/overview (with no regard to the final result), the vendor’s
Participation counter is incremented (and then compared with total
amount of different tests).
The final result (TOP3 characteristic) is counted as TOP3 counter divided by Participation counter to measure in percent.