Quick Heal version 26: anti-fraud, dark-web monitoring and partner growth

As cyber threats evolve, the channel ecosystem for cybersecurity is changing with them. Enterprise risk today is not only about malware or ransomware; it now includes identity theft, deepfakes, payment fraud and a steady stream of privacy erosions that start long before money is stolen. Vendors and partners must therefore move from point products to holistic, privacy-first services that detect breaches, stop fraud in real time and help users remediate exposed identity data.

Quick Heal’s newly launched version 26 aims to do exactly that, and the product roadmap reveals how vendors and their channel partners can build new revenue streams while helping customers reduce real-world losses. Below is the report based on a conversation with Sneha Katkar, Head of Product Strategy, Quick Heal Technologies. This conversation explains what the company’s key thrusts mean for partners across retail, distribution and managed services.

From viruses to deepfakes: the threat has shifted

Quick Heal frames the problem as a long arc of change. As the spokesperson put it, cybersecurity has never stood still:

“About three decades ago, things used to be simpler in nature, where it was all about viruses. That evolved to millions of viruses a day. Then it moved into more sophisticated viruses and attacks. Ransomware came into the picture.”

The latest escalation goes beyond classic malware into large-scale social and financial fraud:

Sneha shared, “And now, we’ve seen a huge rise in the number of frauds that are happening. Online digital frauds that are happening, even UPI frauds, fraudsters are using AI-generated technology, such as deep fake videos or audio calls, to defraud people.”

That evolving modus operandi makes the channel’s role more critical. The vendor argues that fraud is typically the end-state of a longer chain of data exposure, and prevention must therefore include identity hygiene:

“Fraud is like a last step. But how it begins is multiple steps before it. Somehow, somewhere, we have faced a breach of information, and if, as consumers, we can be made aware of it and if we take necessary steps, that combination no longer is valid to further defraud me,” she added.

Version 26: privacy + dark web monitoring + live anti-fraud

Version 26 bundles multiple defensive layers into the flagship Quick Heal Total Security. The company has been building fraud-specific capabilities for some time, and those capabilities now ship in the mainstream product:

“Last year, we launched Antifraud.ai, which is a mobile-first solution. All these capabilities are now a part of our flagship Quick Heal Total Security solution. So that’s one of the things that is absolutely new in version 26.” Katkar said.

Dark-web intelligence is front and centre. Quick Heal says version 26 includes an upgraded monitoring engine that alerts users when personal identifiers appear on illicit markets:

She added, “We recently launched dark web monitoring 2.0, which means now we are also ensuring that your email ID, password, Aadhaar number, passport number, PAN number if any of these are available as part of breaches anywhere on the dark net, we will identify it and alert you in real time. And not just that, we tell you exactly what needs to be done to ensure that you take necessary steps to at least safeguard yourself.”

A second major addition is the Security Intelligent Assistant (SIA), a conversational smart helper designed to simplify security for everyday users:

Sneha: “We’ve launched a smart assistant. The objective here is to ensure that we simplify security for our customers because security tends to get complicated. So, how do I simplify this entire concept of security so that I translate this into very easy-to-understand normal language to a user?”

These features are pitched for mass consumption, not enterprise specialists, which is where the channel has an opportunity to advise, install and upsell.

New partner opportunities: services, SOHO packs and managed security

Quick Heal stresses its traditional strength in channels and how version 26 creates fresh monetisation paths, Sneha stated:

“We have constantly worked along with our partners. We, in fact, as you might be aware, 35,000 plus partners in the retail dealers, distributors, the smallest and the biggest of towns in the country. And we, over the years, have maintained and respected that relationship a lot.”

The vendor says version 26 opens up a market category (anti-fraud for consumers) and a range of SMB offerings:

“Anti-fraud.ai is actually not just the first in India, but it is a first globally created solution for fraud prevention for the common man, bringing a solution in that field is again creating a new market.”

For small businesses, the company offers a SOHO pack and a cloud management platform, designed to be saleable and serviceable through retail partners:

“We have also launched a SOHO pack, and we have launched MetaProtect, which is giving our consumers convenience to map all their Quick Heal managed devices to a single platform, which is on the cloud, and manage them from the cloud.” she stated.

That combination, consumer anti-fraud, SMB SOHO solutions and cloud manageability, creates scope for partners to sell licences, and then layer on managed security services:

“When you sell security, it's not simply a sale, and then you let it go, if a partner is willing to actually extend their services, they can then get into servicing their clients from a managed security perspective.” Katkar quoted.

Real-time protection for payments and malicious apps

The product’s behavioural approach extends to mobile transaction safety and hidden malicious apps. Quick Heal says the antifraud app watches transactions, QR codes and app behaviour, and can block suspicious activity before losses occur:

Sneha revealed, “Antifraud.ai sits as an application on your phone. This app will ensure that it alerts you in real time if something is suspicious. All kinds of fraud links, fraud QR codes are something that you can be protected from, during a payment, antifraud.ai will alert you and tell you to hold this transaction for right now.”

It also claims to detect and remove stealthy malware that hides behind app icons and spreads through messaging:

She added, “There are sometimes even apps that are on your phone in a hidden manner; sometimes these hidden apps hijack or hack into a person's WhatsApp. Antifraud will again identify and delete all such applications for you.”

Those capabilities are valuable for channel partners selling to mobile-first consumers and micro-enterprises.

Partner enablement: training, launches and revenue sharing

Quick Heal says it supports its partner base with continuous learning and incentive mechanisms:

Katkar: “We are training all our partners around all these new solutions. There is a webinar, as well as sometimes there are these offline events, that happen around the country. They are educated about the new things in the product. Then there are annual launches that happen, that program is a sort of a get-together for our core partners.”

Importantly, the vendor highlights a partner-friendly commercial design:

“Quick Heal is also the only brand which provides a profit-sharing program scheme where even if a consumer renews or buys online, the relevant partner continues to get their share of getting that customer and maintaining that customer,” stated Sneha.

That kind of assurance helps keep retail dealers invested in customer lifecycle revenue.

A 30-year evolution: AI, predictive detection and an easy UX

Looking back over three decades, Quick Heal emphasises continuous R&D and the move from manual detection to machine learning and predictive deep-learning engines:

“We have implemented a lot of technologies to employ machine learning and then GoDeep.ai, which is now the backbone of all our Quick Heal as well as Securite solutions be able to predict whether this looks like a possible threat and block it before it can even try to infect you.” she shared.

Sneha’s philosophical anchor is simplicity:

“Our motto has been simplifying security. So while threats can become more and more complicated, the solution can't be complicated. So to be easy to understand, it has to be easy to adapt.”

Conclusion

Lastly, Sneha Katkar, Head of Product Strategy, Quick Heal Technologies, concluded the conversation. 

“Technology-wise, our focus will continue to remain on privacy and prevention, while security remains our core competence, our focus will continue to be on privacy and fraud prevention. We will ensure that our consumers are protected from digital threats in a very holistic manner. When you talk of revenue, we are hoping this will get a positive uptick in the revenue for us, as well as for all our partners. Also, because we've now forayed into creating a new category, and we hope it's picking up. Being the only player right now in India, I think it's a huge goldmine for both our partners, as well as for Quick Heal, to really pick this up and take it forward.”

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