ESET PROTECT Hub is ESET’s online portal for managing business subscriptions, users and activations. It replaces ESET Business Account, which ESET now calls a legacy portal. Both let subscription owners manage all of their subscriptions in one place.[8] ESET’s own login page sends business accounts activated after 2024-08-01 to ESET PROTECT Hub, and accounts activated before 2024-07-31 to ESET Business Account.[9] Customers and MSPs must have an Account to activate and use ESET Services.[6] The licence position for ESET therefore starts with the subscription records in Hub or Business Account.
Terminology
ESET has renamed its licensing objects. A “License” is now a “Subscription”. A “License key” is now an “Activation key”. “Enlarge license” is now “Increase license quantity/units”. “Upgrade license” is now “Increase device limit”. Existing activation keys and settings are unchanged.[7] In Hub, each subscription has a subscription code, a status, a quantity (activated units out of ordered units), an owner, an activation key and validity dates.[1] Catalog: ESET now calls licences subscriptions and licence keys activation keys.
Metrics
Hub counts subscription units. The Active units view lists every unit in use that counts toward total capacity. Each unit represents one ESET solution activated for an asset.[2] This is how Hub expresses ESET’s rule of one seat per operating system.[8] For the counting rules, see ESET PROTECT plans and seat counting.
Counting / floors
Status thresholds. Hub marks a subscription “Close to overuse” when usage exceeds 90%, and “Overused” when it exceeds 100%. Other statuses include Close to expiration (less than 14 days left), Expired, Suspended (activated solutions no longer receive updates) and Canceled.[1] Catalog: Hub flags subscriptions above 90% and 100% usage.
Overuse blocks activation. When an endpoint shows “Activation failed – Overused subscription”, the subscription is being used on more devices than it allows. The owner must free a seat from an inactive device in ESET PROTECT Hub or ESET Business Account. Anyone else must ask the owner to do so.[5] Catalog: Overused subscriptions block new activations until seats are freed.
Releasing seats. Releasing a unit makes it available again. The solution on the associated asset then stops receiving updates.[2] Retired devices should therefore be released in Hub. Uninstalling the software is not enough to keep the count accurate. Catalog: Released units stop counting and stop receiving updates.
Known discrepancies. ESET documents that unit consumption shown in the Subscriptions tab may differ from the active units listed in the Active Units tab.[3] The Active units “Grand total” is calculated from usage and may differ from the number of rows in the table.[2] A licence manager should keep exports of both views and reconcile them against device inventory. Catalog: Hub consumption figures may differ from the Active Units list.
Changing quantity. Only the reseller can increase capacity or renew a subscription. Hub shows the reseller’s name.[1] Under the Terms of Use, adjustments such as renewals, upgrades, add-ons and additional quantities are processed as new Orders.[6] Catalog: Protection Tier Subscription.
Activation keys and offline activation
Keys are confidential. Customers must keep activation codes and licence keys confidential. They may disclose them only to their End-Users, and must tell ESET at once if a key is exposed.[6] Several activities are forbidden: transferring used or unused activation codes, reproducing or generating keys, and using a key obtained from anyone other than ESET or an ESET partner.[6] This rules out second-hand ESET keys. Catalog: Activation keys must be kept confidential and not transferred.
Offline activation files. For networks with limited or no internet access, Hub can create offline activation files. Each file is for one solution, which must match the purchased tier. Files are not available for cloud-dependent solutions. They can be created only from subscription units that are not allocated to a site.[4] Air-gapped installations still consume units, so the count must include them. Catalog: Offline activation files consume unallocated units.
Sites. Subscription units can be allocated to sites, and a remotely managed unit is moved between sites by re-running the Product Activation task in ESET PROTECT.[2]
Renewals and records
After a renewal with the same activation key, the subscription may take 12 to 24 hours to show as active in ESET’s database. Protection continues in the meantime.[8] ESET PROTECT On-Prem and Mail Security for Exchange renewals go through an ESET-authorized reseller or ESET Sales Support. Self-managed customers can renew in the ESET eStore.[8] Invoices are not stored or generated in ESET PROTECT Hub. They arrive by email after purchase or come from the reseller.[8] Proof of entitlement should therefore be kept outside the portal: the Subscription Confirmation emails and invoices. Customers that want to combine or split subscriptions before renewal must contact ESET Sales Support.[8]
Virtualization & partitioning
Hub counts activations, so every activated VM uses a unit. ESET’s sizing guidance for VDI counts the maximum number of concurrently running VMs.[8] Releasing units of VMs that are deleted or no longer used keeps Hub’s figure close to that peak. See ESET PROTECT plans and seat counting.
Compliance and enforcement
No audit clause. The Terms of Use for Business contain no right for ESET to audit a customer. Instead, ESET processes telemetry from its applications for purposes that include “verification of Subscription entitlements, abuse prevention, fraud detection, billing purposes”.[6] Catalog: Telemetry used to verify Subscription entitlements.
Fair use. If a customer’s use is significantly excessive compared with similar Users, or unreasonable, ESET may restrict the Services or charge additional fees, through the ESET partner or directly.[6] Catalog: Excessive use may be restricted or charged additional fees.
Material breach. Breaches of the permitted-use and forbidden-use clauses, including key misuse, are deemed substantial breaches.[6] ESET may then terminate the affected Services, or a whole Subscription. The customer must uninstall the locally installed applications immediately.[6]
Cloud / BYOL
Hub is itself a cloud service. ESET aims for 99.5% monthly availability of its cloud-based applications, and locally installed applications keep working during outages.[6] Usage tracking does not depend on where the protected device runs.
Programs
- Trial Subscription. Hub offers a 30-day free trial of ESET PROTECT Advanced. Trials can be converted to full subscriptions.[1]
- Subscription renewal window. A renewal can be made from 90 days before to 730 days after expiry. It may take 12 to 24 hours to show as active.[8]
Out of scope
- ESET HOME accounts and consumer subscriptions.
- ESET MSP Administrator 2 billing, covered in ESET MSP and partner licensing.
- Console configuration beyond what affects licence counts.