ABOUT US
Network security has outgrown the way it used to be tested. What was once a single function firewall is now a converged platform — handling intrusion prevention, threat management, TLS inspection, application control, and more — inspecting traffic that is now overwhelmingly encrypted. For years, performance testing failed to keep pace. Proprietary methodologies varied from lab to lab, results weren't comparable, and buyers faced a wall of certifications with no way to know how a product would actually perform on their own networks.
NetSecOPEN was founded in 2017 as a nonprofit to fix this. Our members — security vendors, test-tool providers, independent labs, and enterprises from around the world — develop open, transparent standards for testing modern network security products. Every methodology, result, and decision is published openly.
RFC 9411
An Industry First, Standardized by the IETF
Our work produced the first open, consensus-driven testing methodology to be standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force: RFC 9411, "Benchmarking Methodology for Network Security Device Performance," published in 2023. It is the foundation of the NetSecOPEN methodologies, and certification program today.
WHAT WE DO
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Develop open test standards for evaluating and certifying network security products, grounded in RFC 9411
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Publish methodologies, guidelines and best practices for testing and for interpreting results consistently
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Maintain and update those standards as threat and traffic landscape evolves
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Oversee certification testing carried by accredited independent labs
LAB & TEST SOLUTION PARTNERS
TEST SOLUTION & SERVICE PROVIDER PARTNERS
Test solution and service provider partners play a critical role in ensuring network security products are tested in clear, consistent, and reproducible ways. Organizations that test and provide other services involving security products are welcome to join.
Keysight, an S&P 500 company delivers market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product lifecycle.
Viavi is recognized globally as a leader in lab-based, high-speed Ethernet, positioning and mobile network infrastructure testing, and service assurance systems for service providers.
LAB PARTNERS
Our lab partners ensure that products are tested using open standards that realistically describe real-world performance. We welcome labs that are committed to transparent, repeatable testing.
EUROPEAN ADVANCED NETWORK TEST CENTER (EANTC)
EANTC provides objective, vendor-neutral, network performance test facilities for
manufacturers, service providers, and enterprise customers.
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) provides independent, broad-based interoperability and conformance testing for data, telecom, and storage networking technologies.