ESET has expanded its consumer and small-business security offerings with a set of new features aimed at reducing cybersecurity risks that arise from using artificial intelligence. The updates target situations where people search for information, generate text or code, or rely on autonomous AI agents — and they also strengthen protections for online banking, browsing and mobile devices.
"Artificial intelligence has become part of everyday digital life almost overnight, and cybercriminals are already using it to craft more convincing scams and discover new attack vectors," said Béres Péter, IT Director at Sicontact Kft., which distributes ESET products. He added that the new features bolster protection at the points where people work, browse, communicate and use AI tools.
What the new AI features do
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AI Conversation Protection: automatically inspects links appearing in responses from large language models and flags those that lead to phishing, malicious or potentially unwanted content. It also scans AI-generated scripts to help prevent users from running harmful code. Currently this feature works with ChatGPT; support for additional large language models will be added later.
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AI Agent Security: checks files, scripts and external links used or downloaded by AI agents before they are executed. This addresses risks related to agents autonomously downloading files, opening links or installing third‑party skills or extensions.
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AI Behavior Analysis: monitors the behavior of AI agents and detects when previously normal activity turns suspicious — for example after a malicious extension is loaded or an agent receives manipulative instructions. The goal is to identify and block dangerous actions before they cause harm.
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AI Skills Checker: a free online tool that uses ESET’s protection technology to analyze AI skills for signs of malicious or risky behavior. Importantly, AI Agent Security and AI Behavior Analysis run locally on the user’s device and do not upload data to the cloud for inspection.
Browser protection and secure banking
ESET is also introducing Browser Screen Protection to prevent other applications from capturing the contents of a browser window via screenshots or screen sharing. When a user shares their screen, the browser window can be hidden while the rest of the display remains visible. This feature is part of ESET’s Secure Banking and Browsing functionality and is aimed at safeguarding financial and other sensitive web activity.
ESET Mobile Security coming to iPhone
ESET Mobile Security, previously available only on Android, will soon be offered to iOS users via the Apple App Store. The app will be available in free and premium editions.
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Free edition: includes a Link Checker that verifies links against ESET’s continuously updated database of malicious URLs, plus device checks and a settings review to help users assess device security (for example screen-lock configuration, notification permissions, and available storage for updates).
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Premium edition: adds anti‑phishing protection in Safari and notifies users about risky or insecure Wi‑Fi networks. It also allows specifying trusted networks and offers guidance for hardening wireless connections.
The app’s release timing depends on Apple App Store approval, and availability may vary by region.
Why this matters
As AI tools become integrated into routine digital activities, the links, code and extensions they produce can introduce new attack surfaces. ESET’s new protections — combining on‑device checks, behavior analysis and curated link databases — aim to catch malicious elements before they execute or lead to data compromise, while keeping sensitive inspection local to the user’s device.
