NetSTAR and Varist Announce Strategic Alliance to Combat AI-Driven Cyber Threats

SALT LAKE CITY, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NetSTAR Global Inc. (NetSTAR), the global leader in OEM web categorization, IP reputation, and threat intelligence solutions, and Varist, a pioneer in AI-scale malware detection, today announced a strategic alliance designed to strengthen cybersecurity defenses in response to the rapid rise of generative AI-powered threats.

Through this collaboration, the two companies will share intelligence data to enhance their respective platforms. By combining NetSTAR's global-scale internet telemetry and real-time URL, IP, and web application intelligence with Varist's advanced packet and file-based malware detection technologies, the partnership delivers deeper threat visibility and faster, more accurate detection for security vendors and OEM partners worldwide.

Addressing the New Era of AI-Generated Malware

Generative AI has dramatically increased the speed and sophistication with which cybercriminals can create malware, phishing campaigns, and evasive attack payloads. As adversaries leverage automation and AI to scale attacks, security providers require more contextual, multi-layered intelligence to stay ahead.

NetSTAR provides visibility into internet traffic from more than 1.8 billion endpoints and has categorized over 48 billion URLs, domains, and IP addresses across 200+ content and security categories. Its intelligence is embedded in the products and services of more than 275 OEM partners globally, supporting web filtering, DNS security, email protection, endpoint security, firewall enforcement, regulatory compliance, and brand safety solutions.

The Varist Hybrid Detection Engine™ protects more than five billion mailboxes worldwide with hyperscale malware detection powered by heuristics and real-time dynamic behavioral analysis. Its technology identifies both known and unknown threats at the packet and file level, delivering AI-driven detection at global scale.

Together, NetSTAR and Varist will align content intelligence, reputation scoring, web application metadata, and behavioral malware detection to provide a more unified, contextualized view of emerging threats.

Strengthening Protection Across the Security Stack

The alliance enables enriched threat correlation across URLs, IP addresses, domains, web applications, packets, and files. By integrating large-scale telemetry with behavioral analysis, the companies aim to improve detection of AI-generated malware, reduce false positives, and enhance protection across encrypted traffic environments.

The partnership remains firmly OEM-focused. Enhanced intelligence will be made available through SDKs, cloud APIs, hybrid deployments, and real-time feeds—allowing security vendors, carriers, and service providers to embed advanced intelligence directly into their own platforms.

"The threat landscape is evolving at machine speed, particularly with generative AI enabling more sophisticated malware and phishing campaigns," said Daniel Ashby, COO at NetSTAR. "By aligning NetSTAR's global telemetry and categorization intelligence with Varist's industry-leading malware detection technology, we are creating a stronger and more comprehensive intelligence ecosystem for our partners. We have deep respect for Varist's innovation and are excited about this strategic partnership."

"NetSTAR's scale, accuracy, and global visibility make them an ideal strategic partner," said Finnbogi Finnbogason, CTO and Cofounder at Varist. "Their real-time URL, IP, and web application intelligence complements our packet and file-based behavioral detection capabilities. Together, we are delivering more powerful, AI-driven protection against both known and emerging threats."

About Varist

With a decades-long track record for malware detection innovation, Varist technology protects more than five billion mailboxes worldwide. Headquartered in Iceland, the company maintains a local presence and customer and investor relationships worldwide. Varist's hyperscale malware detection solutions combine heuristics and real-time dynamic behavioral analysis for economical, AI-driven detection of known and unknown threats.
For more information, visit www.varist.com.

About NetSTAR

Founded in 2001, NetSTAR is the global leader in OEM internet categorization and threat intelligence solutions. NetSTAR technology is embedded in the products and services of more than 275 OEM partners worldwide and provides visibility into internet traffic from over 1.8 billion endpoints. NetSTAR delivers URL categorization, IP intelligence, web application intelligence, and real-time threat feeds to power security, compliance, and fraud prevention solutions across the mobile, enterprise, and adtech markets.
For more information, visit www.netstar.ai.

Media Contact:
Thomas Ashby
(650) 600-3850
[email protected]

SOURCE NetSTAR Global Inc.