WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As part of its Global Transparency Initiative, Kaspersky Lab is adapting its infrastructure to move a number of core processes from Russia to Switzerland. This includes customer data storage and processing for most regions, as well as software assembly, including threat detection updates. To ensure full transparency and integrity, Kaspersky Lab is arranging for this activity to be supervised by an independent third party, also based in Switzerland.
Global transparency and collaboration for an ultra-connected world
The
Global Transparency Initiative, announced in October 2017, reflects
Kaspersky Lab’s ongoing commitment to assuring the integrity and
trustworthiness of its products. The new measures are the next steps in
the development of the initiative, but they also reflect the company’s
commitment to working with others to address the growing challenges of
industry fragmentation and a breakdown of trust. Trust is essential in
cybersecurity, and Kaspersky Lab understands that trust is not a given;
it must be repeatedly earned through transparency and accountability.
The new measures comprise the move of data storage and processing for a number of regions, the relocation of software assembly and the opening of the first Transparency Center.
Relocation of customer data storage and processing
By
the end of 2019, Kaspersky Lab will have established a data center in
Zurich and this facility will store and process all information for
users in North America, Europe, Singapore, Australia, Japan and South
Korea, with more countries to follow. This information is shared
voluntarily by users with the Kaspersky
Security Network (KSN), an advanced, cloud-based system that
automatically processes cyberthreat-related data.
Relocation of software assembly
Kaspersky Lab will
relocate to Zurich its ‘software build conveyer’ -- a set of programming
tools used to assemble ready to use software out of source code. Before
the end of 2018, Kaspersky Lab products and threat detection rule
databases (AV databases) will start to be assembled and signed with a
digital signature in Switzerland, before being distributed to the
endpoints of customers worldwide. The relocation will ensure that all
newly assembled software can be verified by an independent organization,
and show that software builds and updates received by customers match
the source code provided for audit.
Establishment of the first Transparency Center
The
source code of Kaspersky Lab products and software updates will be
available for review by responsible stakeholders in a dedicated
Transparency Center that will also be hosted in Switzerland and is
expected to open this year. This approach will further show that
generation after generation of Kaspersky Lab products were built and
used for one purpose only: protecting the company’s customers from
cyberthreats.
Independent supervision and review
Kaspersky Lab is
arranging for the data storage and processing, software assembly and
source code to be independently supervised by a third party qualified to
conduct technical software reviews. Since transparency and trust are
becoming universal requirements across the cybersecurity industry,
Kaspersky Lab supports the creation of a new, non-profit organization to
take on this responsibility, not just for the company, but for other
partners and members who wish to join.
Kaspersky Lab’s commitment
As a leading global
cybersecurity solutions provider, Kaspersky Lab has always been
committed to the most trustworthy industry practices, including strong
protection for transmitted data, strict internal policies for data
access, ongoing security testing of its infrastructure and more. With
this new set of measures, Kaspersky Lab aims to significantly improve
the resilience of its IT infrastructure to any trust risk – even
theoretical ones – and to increase its transparency to current and
future clients, as well as to the general public.
Commenting on the process move and transparency center opening, Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky Lab, said: “In a rapidly changing industry such as ours, we have to adapt to the evolving needs of our clients, stakeholders and partners. Transparency is one such need, and that is why we’ve decided to redesign our infrastructure and move our data processing facilities to Switzerland. We believe such action will become a global trend for cybersecurity, and that a policy of trust will catch on across the industry as a key basic requirement.”
Learn more about Kaspersky Lab transparency principles and the Global Transparency Initiative here: www.kaspersky.com/about/transparency
Note to Editors
On June 5, Kaspersky Lab will be hosting a
live online summit, bringing together senior representatives from the
cybersecurity industry to discuss how to maintain trust and
collaboration across the industry and address the growing challenge of
Balkanization. Further details and registration can be found here.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity
company, which has been operating in the market for over 20 years.
Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is
constantly transforming into next generation security solutions and
services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and
consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security
portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of
specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and
evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by
Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect
what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.
