Kaspersky Lab business in Europe

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2022

Kaspersky fights for customer confidence in Europe: new transparency centers opened in Italy and the Netherlands

Kaspersky Lab has opened two new transparency centers in Europe - in Rome (Italy) and Utrecht (Netherlands). The company announced this on September 21, 2022 in its English-language blog.

New "trust building platforms" work at its offices. Partners, clients and information security officials can visit them.

In centers in Rome and Utrecht, visitors can access the service that the company calls the most popular in its transparency centers - a general overview of Kaspersky Lab's engineering and data processing practices. He suggests that a team of Kaspersky Lab experts will meet at the transparency center of partners and customers, who will answer any questions about data processing practices in the company and the functioning of solutions, as well as conduct a live review of the source code of products.

With two new transparency centers of all, the company now has nine. Kaspersky Lab began creating them in 2018, when the first such site was opened in Zurich (Switzerland). She also has a transparency center in Madrid (Spain), São Paulo (Brazil), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). And in 2022, the company also opened sites in Singapore, the United States and Japan.

A few years ago, most of Kaspersky's sales were in Europe "(photo - kaspersky.com)"

Transparency centers offer several types of visits, depending on the skills and goals of guests: from a general review of Kaspersky Lab's security and transparency practices to a comprehensive analysis of the source code of companies' solutions, which is carried out with the participation of its experts. In addition to a general overview of the source code, which is offered at new centers in Rome and Utrecht, more in-depth study of it is also available at some centers.

The company provides source code exclusively for consulting purposes and follows the strictest access policies. This means that the request to analyze the source code may be rejected for security reasons. To ensure the integrity of the source code, read-only access is provided, which eliminates the possibility of making changes to it^[1].

The fact that Kaspersky Lab has the largest number of transparency centers in Europe is not surprising. In June 2022, the founder of the company, Yevgeny Kaspersky, said that before the restrictions of 2018, most of Kaspersky Lab's sales were in Europe, in second place were the United States, and then Russia.

In 2018, the European Parliament adopted a recommendation resolution on cybersecurity, in which it called Kaspersky Lab products "malicious" and called for abandoning its use in European institutions. After that, the company's revenues in Europe fell seriously. According to Kaspersky, they were redistributed so that now Russia has come out on top in terms of sales growth^[2].

In 2018, they decided to abandon the use of Kaspersky Lab products in government agencies in the Netherlands. This was explained by the presence of the Russian government "aggressive cyber program directed, among other things, against the interests of the Netherlands"^[3].

And in 2022, against the background of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Italian government also decided to get rid of Russian antivirus software in the public sector^[4]. At the same time, Germany recommended that citizens abandon Kaspersky antivirus for fear that it could be used by the Russian special services for cyberattacks^[5].

Italian authorities asked government agencies to replace Kaspersky Lab information security solutions

At the end of April 2022 cyber security , Kaspersky Lab Group-IB the Italian National Agency (ACN) issued a circular recommending that government agencies replace the software Positive Technologies with products from other manufacturers.

According to the document referred to by RBC, state administrations "to prevent damage to the security of networks, information systems and IT services" should begin to diversify products. The document states that "companies producing IT security technology products and services related to the Russian Federation will not be able to provide services and updates for their products" due to sanctions.

As explained in Kaspersky Lab, the ACN appeal does not call into question the security and quality of the company's services. The software developer also noted that the circular named "geopolitical tensions that may limit the ability to quickly update IT products" as the main risk factor.

Group-IB told the publication that the ACN circular is focused on the public sector Italy and is exclusively advisory in nature.

Group-IB does not produce most of the products identified in the circular. It concerns only one of them, namely EDR. Nevertheless, we regret this and consider it important to emphasize that Group-IB has always complied and will comply with legislation and regulations, as well as the orders and recommendations of each country in which it operates, the company noted.

Group-IB is going to continue to operate in the Italian market and fulfill obligations to local customers. The company also said that Group-IB is receiving support from Italian partners.^[6]

2020: Kaspersky transferred the data of many foreign customers from Russia to Switzerland

In November 2020, Kaspersky Lab transferred the data of many non-Russian customers from the Russian Federation to Switzerland. The company completed the migration of the data processing and storage infrastructure, which was announced two years earlier as part of the Global Transparency Initiative. Its goal is to demonstrate the honesty and transparency of the company, as well as to provide an independent code audit.

In a rapidly changing industry like ours, we need to adapt to the changing needs of our customers, stakeholders and partners. Transparency is one of these needs, and that is why we decided to transfer our data processing tools to Switzerland, "said Kaspersky Lab.

Kaspersky decided to transfer the data of many foreign customers from Russia to Switzerland

Oleg Abdurashitov, Head of Government Relations at Kaspersky Lab, passed TAdviser through the press service, that the company's two data centers, which are located in Zurich, now serving users from Europe, the United States and Canada, as well as a number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. User data from Russia and other countries not named above is still being processed and stored in Russia, he said.

I note that we are talking about the processing and storage of information that people voluntarily and anonymously share through the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) cloud security system and which is mainly samples of suspicious and previously unknown malicious files, "Oleg Abdurashitov emphasized.[7]

2019

Opening of the Transparency Centre in Madrid

In early April 2019, Kaspersky Lab announced the opening of the so-called transparency center in Madrid. There, the antivirus manufacturer shows partners and government agencies the source codes of its software, as well as documentation for developing software in a specially created safe and convenient environment.

In addition, guests of the center (they will begin to receive in June 2019) will be able to study the principles of data processing and information protection standards that Kaspersky Lab adheres to.

Kaspersky Lab has opened a transparency center in Madrid, where it shows the source code of its software

The company believes that in the context of a growing number of devices connected to the network, Kaspersky Lab and all its processes should become more transparent. Transparency centers demonstrate an ongoing desire to confirm the integrity and reliability of the manufacturer's solutions.

Data security is becoming one of the priorities for government agencies and customers, and we are ready to explain how we ensure their safety. This is exactly what our global initiative on information openness is intended for. We are also happy to expand et scale and increase the number of measures supporting it, "Kaspersky Lab said.

The openness of the work of the Russian vendor is expressed in other ways - for example, by cooperation with the consulting giant from the Big Four on the audit of engineering practices for the development and distribution of antivirus databases.

Kaspersky Lab also plans to create  an additional data processing and storage infrastructure in Switzerland by the end of 2019, which users voluntarily provide through Kaspersky Security Network.

Finally, the company is promoting a vulnerability search program in its software. Thanks to her, by the beginning of April 2019, more than 50 errors found by third-party specialists were corrected, who in total were paid more than $17 thousand.^[8]

MEP requested written explanations from the European Commission regarding the recognition of LC products as harmful

On March 6, 2019, MEP Gerolf Annemans requested explanations from the European Commission regarding the 2018 European Parliament resolution, which stated that Kaspersky Lab's developments were allegedly recognized as malicious. Annemans' request is official, and, accordingly, officials of the highest executive body of the European Union will have to give detailed written explanations.

The questions are formulated as follows:

1. Is there any reason for the European Commission, in addition to certain articles in the press, that made it possible to call Kaspersky Lab "dangerous" or "malicious," especially given that EU members such as Germany, France or Belgium, cooperating with this company, did not face any problems?

2. Is the European Commission known any programs or devices, in addition to those produced by Kaspersky Lab, in respect of which the possibility of a ban on use in the EU was considered?

3. Does the European Commission have any research or [authoritative] opinions of cybersecurity experts or consulting structures about Kaspersky Lab and can it point me to these documents?^[9]

For its part, Kaspersky Lab has already expressed support for the actions of the parliamentarian.^[10]

Gerolf Annemans represents Belgium in the European Parliament. At the same time, he is known as the so-called "Eurosceptic" and is a member of the right-wing populist nationalist party "Flemish Choice," which he headed in 2012-2014.

However, regardless of his political orientation, the questions he asks look fair and grounded.

As you know, in the first half of July 2018, the European Parliament approved a resolution on cybersecurity by a majority vote. In this document, European government agencies are called upon to inspect the software, IT and communication equipment they use and revise their approaches to its procurement and use. Thus, it is supposed to avoid "potentially dangerous" products and abandon those that are "already recognized as malicious."

The document directly names only one software manufacturer whose developments are allegedly "recognized as malicious" - Kaspersky Lab. No more names are given in the text of the resolution. It also does not contain any links to documents confirming the malware of Kaspersky Lab's developments.

In response, Kaspersky Lab refused further cooperation with Europol - until the European Parliament resolution is canceled or a clause affecting the interests and good name of the company is excluded from it.

In 2017, the US government decided to exclude Kaspersky Lab from suppliers of high-tech equipment for state needs. The US Department of Homeland Security, in turn, said that Kaspersky Lab products pose a threat to the country's security and can be used by the Russian authorities to access US government documents.

This was preceded by a series of publications in the media, in which the Laboratory was accused of overly close ties with the special services of the Russian Federation. The head of the company, Yevgeny Kaspersky, categorically refutes these accusations.

Witch hunting in the United States and the EU takes on the most bizarre forms, but it has nothing to do with the quality of products and the state of affairs in the IT security market, "said Dmitry Gvozdev, executive director of Information Technologies of the Future. - The long-term attack on Kaspersky Lab, as well as the more recent campaign against Huawei, are essentially dictated solely by political considerations. Ultimately, no one will benefit from all this hype, except for individual politicians and cyber crime.

2018

Investing $12 million in transparency centers and data centers in Europe

On November 13, 2018, Kaspersky Lab announced an investment of $3 million in the opening of two data centers and the first transparency center in Switzerland. In total, the company will invest $12 million in the launch of such facilities by the end of 2019.

Kaspersky Lab began using two data centers located in Zurich to process malicious and suspicious files from European users of the company.

Kaspersky Lab opens data center and transparency center in Switzerland

Prior to that, virus samples were stored in, Russia which caused concern among foreign regulators: Kaspersky Lab was accused of being able to collect confidential data, writes Kommersant with reference to the vice president of state corporate relations. Anton Shingarev

According to him, in order to "remove this risk," all information from European users will be stored in Switzerland after the full launch of data centers. Kaspersky Lab plans to complete the creation of a new infrastructure by the end of 2019.

On November 13, 2018, Kaspersky Lab also opened its first transparency center in Zurich. Within this framework, trusted partners and government organizations are offered the opportunity to verify the source code of the company's products. In addition, they will be able to access databases of virus signatures, software updates, documentation on secure software development and other important materials. The Transparency Center will allow you to conduct external audits and assessments of the company's source code, as well as study technical documentation in a safe and convenient environment specially created for this.^[11]

The next transparency center will be launched in Asia in 2019, another one will most likely appear in Canada.

Transparency is becoming the new norm for the IT industry and the cybersecurity market in particular, "said Evgeny Kaspersky, head of Kaspersky Lab.

Victory in court with Dutch politician and major newspaper

The head of Kaspersky Lab, Yevgeny Kaspersky, in his social media accounts announced that his company had won the court against the large Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. The process was launched at the suit of the Laboratory in connection with the publication^[12] on February 3, which indicated that a female hacker named Rian van Rijbroek hacked the Dutch office of Kaspersky Lab and found there evidence of the connection of a local politician - Eurosceptic Thierry Baudet - with the Russian government Baudet .

Quite quickly it turned out that there was no hacking, and the source of information was not van Ryabrock, but the Dutch politician Willem Vermend.

Among the evidence of the fabrication of the article, a recording of telephone conversations made by Rian van Ryabrock was presented to the court. The main characters in these negotiations are Rian proper (RR) and the Dutch politician Willem Vermend (BV).

In the recordings, Rian is outraged that Willem framed her by whispering to De Telegraaf reporters what she never said. Willem shrugs his hands, referring to instructions from the Dutch parliament, "Kaspersky wrote in his blog on Livejournal. The following is the text of the record itself, from which it clearly follows that van Ryabrock was substituted.[13]

In June 2018, Kaspersky announced the filing of a lawsuit^[14] against De Telegraaf and Willem Vermend, demanding the publication of a refutation and compensation for the damage to the company's reputation. As a result of the proceedings, the court recognized the plaintiffs' correctness and ordered the newspaper to give a refutation. Kaspersky cites documentary evidence of this in his publication:

"Media campaign[15] against the "Laboratory" began several years ago, and since then some American media have greatly dropped their reputation, regularly publishing custom-made lies of space incompetence from understandable political anonymous sources, "sums up Kaspersky. - Hiding behind the laws on the protection of sources, the authorities are not shy in perverting well-known facts and spreading fakes, which are then picked up by numerous trolls and social media botnets, and subsequently used to justify political decisions. Alas, c'est la vie, and in this place can be any objectionable company, any person.

This "media campaign" is expensive for Kaspersky Lab. A series of publications claiming that the ties between the company and the Russian special services had become too close led Laboratory to experience serious business problems in the United States.

Third-party information security experts, including European and American, believe that the actions of the US, UK and EU authorities against Kaspersky Lab are dishonorable: no serious evidence has been presented to the public that Lab employees acted to the detriment of their customers or in any way participated in alleged cyber attacks against other states. Statements about the "proven threat" have not yet been confirmed by anything other than publications in the media.

However, all attempts by Kaspersky Lab to challenge the ban on the use of its products in the United States in court are unsuccessful. The prospects for similar litigation in other countries are still rather vague.

Earlier, Yevgeny Kaspersky appealed to the US Congress with a proposal to provide the source code of Lab programs for inspection. The offer of this understanding did not meet.

Given that the problems of Kaspersky Lab began precisely with unfriendly publications in the media, the won lawsuit against the largest Dutch newspaper looks encouraging; at least Laboratory won a moral victory, "said Dmitry Gvozdev, CEO of Information Technologies of the Future. - However, before the change in the political situation in the world, the company is unlikely to be able to restore partnership relations with government agencies in the USA and Europe, regardless of the results of legal proceedings with the media. And, apparently, any company that somehow causes an association with Russia will for a long time evoke a persistent idiosyncrasy among politicians and government agencies of the United States and the EU.

Refusal to work with Europol

In mid-June 2018, Kaspersky Lab announced its refusal to work with European law enforcement agencies, including Europol. The antivirus software manufacturer made this decision against the backdrop of a new European Parliament resolution to strengthen cyber defense against Russia, China and the DPRK.

The fact that Kaspersky Lab is stopping cooperation with Europol was written on its Instagram page by the founder and CEO of the company, Yevgeny Kaspersky.

Kaspersky Lab refused to work with Europol amid new European Parliament resolution to strengthen cyber defenses against Russia, China and DPRK

For 20 years we have protected the EU by working with law enforcement. The result of this work was numerous arrests of cybercriminals. With today's unprecedented and unwarranted decision by the European Parliament, we are forced to freeze our cooperation with EU law enforcement agencies, including Europol and the No More Ransom project, he revealed.

Evgeny Kaspersky refers to the resolution on cyber protection adopted in June 2018. The document, which was signed by MEPs by a majority vote, says that, and Russia China North Korea committed cyber attacks a government level. The resolution calls for the creation of a European rapid response group in the field cyber security and closer cooperation in this area with. NATO

Kaspersky Lab notes that the resolution has no legislative force and represents the opinion of individual deputies, but the document demonstrates clear disrespect for a company that "has always been a firm friend of Europe in the fight against cybercrime."

Kaspersky Lab has stopped numerous joint projects with European law enforcement agencies, including No More Ransom. The latter was a public-private collaboration with the European Parliament's research service.^[16]

Ban on public procurement of software in Holland

In mid-May 2018, it became known about the ban on public procurement of Kaspersky Lab software in Holland. The authorities explained their decision by cyber attacks on the country, which Russia allegedly could resort to.

The fact that the Dutch government has decided to abandon the use of Kaspersky Lab products is stated in a letter sent to the national parliament by the head of the country's Ministry of Security and Justice Ferdinand Grapperhaus.

Dutch public sector banned purchases of Kaspersky Lab software

According to the minister, the Russian government had "a program of cyber attacks, the purpose of which, among other things, were the interests of the Netherlands." He also stressed that there are no "specific cases of abuse" by the Russian antivirus developer in the Netherlands, but "this cannot be ruled out."

According to Reuters, Kaspersky Lab falls under Russian laws that could make the company work in the interests of the authorities, Grapperhouse said in a letter to parliament.

The Dutch authorities also began negotiations with large companies working in the field of ensuring the life of the state, on the possibility of also ending cooperation with the Russian company.^[17]

Kaspersky Lab was disappointed with the refusal of the Dutch government to develop antiviruses developed by the company.

Kaspersky Lab "is very disappointed with the decision of the Dutch government, which is based only on theoretical reasoning, especially given that our company is now in the process of introducing a global initiative of information openness, the purpose of which is to clarify any doubts that arise," the company told TAdviser, adding that Kaspersky Lab was embroiled in geopolitical struggle.

Create a data center in Switzerland

On March 21, 2018, it became known about Kaspersky Lab's plans to open data center in Switzerland to reassure Western authorities who fear the company's alleged use Russia software for surveillance.

The fact that Kaspersky Lab was going to launch a data center was reported by the Reuters news agency with reference to the company's internal documents. Construction work should begin around the second quarter of 2018, and be completed by early 2020.

Earlier, the US authorities suspected Kaspersky Lab of threatening the country's security and could be used by the Russian authorities to access US government documents. Although the manufacturer categorically denied these accusations, they were one of the reasons for the company's construction of a data center in Switzerland, says one of the sources of the publication familiar with the plans of the Russian vendor.

Kaspersky Lab plans to open its own data center in Switzerland

The world is changing. Now Balkanization and protectionism are coming to the fore, - said the informant, discussing with Reuters the internal activities of Kaspersky Lab[18]

The interlocutor refused to disclose additional information about the project and only noted that this data center is "not just a PR move." The company decided to change the research and development infrastructure, he added.

According to a Reuters source, the founder and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, Yevgeny Kaspersky, approved the plans for the project in Switzerland, but he is upset that it is necessary to spend money on this, since, in his opinion, there are more important areas for investment.

People close to Kaspersky and familiar with his relationship with the Russian authorities told the agency that the Federal Security Service (FSB) could prevent the launch of a data center in Switzerland, that is, outside its jurisdiction.

According to documents reviewed by Reuters, the Swiss data center will collect and analyze files marked as suspicious on tens of millions of client computers in the United States and Europe. The data of other users will still be sent for processing to the Moscow data center.

Information will be transmitted from Switzerland to Moscow only when abnormal activity is detected that requires manual processing. True, by March 2018, 99.6% of the data that passes through the company's automated systems do not need manual verification, the source said.

It also became known from confidential documents that Kaspersky Lab will transfer the antivirus software development department from Moscow to Switzerland. The authorities of the European state expressed their readiness to provide "firm support" to the company.

The company itself did not comment on the information that appeared. However, on March 20, 2018, she announced plans to open her first "transparency center." According to the official statement, it will be located in Europe (in Switzerland, Reuters clarifies with reference to Kaspersky Lab documents) and will work until the end of 2018. This center will independently analyze source code, software updates, and threat detection rules

This will be an important stage of our Global Initiative on Information Openness and will demonstrate how important it is for Kaspersky Lab to have the reliability of its products and guarantee that there is no external interference in them, the company said in a statement.

In the future, it is planned to open new similar centers in North America and Asia.

We understand that in the context of geopolitical tensions, which are reflected in the increasingly complex picture of cyber threats, people may have questions, and we want to solve them, "a Kaspersky Lab spokesman explained to Reuters the need to launch transparency centers.

2017

Former head of Kaspersky Lab in Italy suspected of tax evasion

On December 28, 2017, information appeared that the prosecutor's office Italy suspected the former head of the Italian division of Kaspersky Lab of tax evasion for a large amount, the local newspaper Messaggero reported.^[19]

The Italian division of Kaspersky Lab did not pay taxes in the amount of 24 million euros. Photo: TASS/Vyacheslav Prokofiev

We are talking about 24 million euros - the amount of income tax for the period from 2010 to 2015. According to the investigation, over these five years, the Italian division of the company earned about 90 million euros. The publication does not name the main suspect.

The prosecutor's office believes that the Italian office acted as an intermediary in relations with the representative office in London, which managed the company's activities in Italy. Profits received in Italy, respectively, were paid in the UK. The Italian market brought the company up to 15 million euros per year.

The investigation has been conducted since the beginning of 2016, RAPSI said.^[20]

This is not the first investigation that Kaspersky Italia has been at the center of in recent months. Earlier, the case of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds of the company was investigated in relation to a number of its executives in the amount of almost 3 million euros.

In September 2017, the United Kingdom, following the United States, banned the use of Kaspersky Lab products in the country's government agencies.

Ban on the use of company products in critical IT systems in Lithuania

On December 21, 2017, the Lithuanian government announced the need to remove Kaspersky Lab software from critical IT systems throughout the country.

According to Reuters, citing Rytis Rainys, deputy director of the Lithuanian state cybersecurity agency, a potential threat to national security has been discovered in Kaspersky Lab software.

Information from computers using this software can flow to countries in which we do not want this to happen. Various sources, including our partners and intelligence, pushed us to this decision, "Reinis said.

Lithuania removes Kaspersky Lab software from computers from critical IT systems

According to the Lithuanian authorities, Kaspersky Lab software should be removed from computers that control critical infrastructure, including power, finance or transport. Moreover, this applies not only to state, but also to private companies.

State bodies can continue to use the solutions of the Russian company only if they are installed on equipment that, according to the cybersecurity agency, is not of national importance. The terms of replacement of the software are not called.

Kaspersky Lab is confident that restrictive measures against the company in Lithuania are associated "exclusively with geopolitical tensions." There was no reliable evidence of the charges brought against the company, Kaspersky Lab noted.

Given the fact that Kaspersky Lab has no political ties or affiliation with any government, we are disappointed with this decision of the Lithuanian government, the company said, adding that various options for resolving the situation are being considered.[21]

Kaspersky intends to regain confidence in the United States and Europe by opening transparency centers and product source codes

Kaspersky Lab plans to take a number of measures that will allow it to prove the groundlessness of the cyber espionage allegations that the company has faced and increase its confidence in foreign markets. This follows from the speech of the Vice President state for Organ Relations Kaspersky LabAnton Shingarev on December 6, 2017.

These measures include the opening of three transparency centers - in the United States, Europe and Asia, the disclosure of the code of products and their updates for independent audit to foreign regulators, Shingarev said.

The representative of Kaspersky Lab explained to TAdviser that these centers will primarily analyze the source code and updates together with representatives of foreign organizations and regulators. This will remove all charges of espionage, the company expects.

Anton Shingarev

In a conversation with TAdviser, Anton Shingarev noted that code disclosure for independent auditing is a standard industry practice carried out by various companies, including Microsoft in Russia. And there are very strict rules for transmitting code for research in protected conditions.

Shingarev told TAdviser that as of the end of the year, the company is discussing various audit options with foreign regulators - in the USA, Europe and Asia. The company has not yet come to some agreements with him. The process is not moving as quickly as we would like, he added. It is especially difficult to develop a system for checking product updates, since updates can change their functionality. No one in the world has built such a system yet, says Shingarev.

We are very much counting on feedback from regulators, because without it we are doing something of our own, and this may turn out to be meaningless. When we do something ourselves, they don't believe it, so we need to build a system that will be believed by default. Therefore, we need a third party, third parties for verification, "he explained to TAdviser.

The best feedback is from Europeans, they are generally more open to cooperation, and the political situation with the United States is really very difficult, says a Kaspersky Lab spokesman.

Anton Shingarev found it difficult to name the exact timing of the opening of the first transparency center. The company expects this to happen in early 2018.

British bank Barclays refuses to offer Kaspersky Lab products to customers

In early December 2017, one of the largest British banks, Barclays, stopped offering Kaspersky Lab antivirus software to its clients after the British authorities called these products a threat to national security. Read more here.

Resolving the conflict with Microsoft

On August 10, 2017, it became known about the withdrawal of Kaspersky Lab's complaint against Microsoft after the American IT corporation agreed to comply with the requirements of the Russian antivirus company.

According to Reuters, citing a statement from Kaspersky Lab, the company intends to abandon claims against Microsoft filed with the European Commission.

Kaspersky Lab headquarters in Moscow

Microsoft said it "found a common language" with Kaspersky Lab on complaints filed in Russia and Europe. The Russian company confirmed that all points of its appeal to the FAS regarding unfair competition were satisfied.

We are pleased with Microsoft's approach to the execution of warnings FAS and the timing of its implementation. We are also preparing an appeal to the European Commission and the Federal Office for German Cartels that we no longer have comments on Microsoft, Kaspersky Lab said in a statement.

The settlement of the conflict took place at the initiative of Microsoft. The company announced its intentions to work more closely with antivirus manufacturers before product updates are released to help them solve software compatibility issues.

In addition, Microsoft will allow antivirus vendors to use Windows in notifications and alerts to customers about the upcoming or already occurred completion of the subscription period, as ON well as provide developers with more understanding and certainty about the release schedule of updates.

Kaspersky Lab accused Microsoft of "abusing its dominant position in the operating systems market" and "unfair competition in the computer threat protection market." The essence of the claim was that after the release of Windows 10, Microsoft began to impede competitors and tried to persuade users to abandon third-party solutions in favor of Windows Defender.^[22]

Complaint to the European Commission against Microsoft

In April 2017, Kaspersky Lab temporarily changed its mind about filing a complaint against Microsoft accusing it of abusing its dominant market position and trying to oust antivirus software developers.

We are talking about limiting the ability to install third-party antiviruses in Windows 10. Kaspersky Lab's dissatisfaction is due to the fact that the American corporation has significantly reduced the time for adapting third-party antivirus software to this operating system - from two months to six days.

Kaspersky Lab Office

In addition, according to the Russian vendor, Microsoft is imposing its anti-virus program Defender on Windows 10 users to the detriment of competitors and creating obstacles for other developers to work in the market. In November 2016, Kaspersky Lab promised to file a complaint with the European Commission.

As the founder and head of Kaspersky Lab, Yevgeny Kaspersky, told Reuters on the sidelines of Hannover Messe 2017 (April 24-28), the company will postpone the complaint by continuing to negotiate with Microsoft to change its approach to working in the market.

They listen to us and have already made some changes. It's a constant process. Of course, if Microsoft agrees to all our requirements, we will not file a complaint, Kaspersky said, adding that the decision to develop the case will be made within a few months.[23]

Meanwhile, in Russia, the proceedings between Kaspersky Lab and Microsoft are underway. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the Russian Federation scheduled for June 2, 2017 the consideration of the case against Microsoft on the grounds of abuse of a dominant position in the Russian market.

Microsoft said it was cooperating with the FAS in an antitrust case. The consideration of the case has already been postponed twice: the first meeting on the case took place on December 20, 2016, it was postponed to February 14 , and then to April 21. On April 21, the FAS again announced the postponement of the case.

In June 2017, it became known that Kaspersky Lab filed a complaint with the European Commission and the Federal Office for German Cartels against Microsoft, accusing the American company of unfair competition. According to fighters against cyber threats, with the release of Windows 10, Microsoft "began to create obstacles for competing manufacturers of security solutions and in various ways push users to abandon third-party software in favor of Windows Defender." Kaspersky Lab believes that Microsoft's actions "lead to a decrease in the level of protection of users, restriction of their right to choose and financial losses of both users themselves and manufacturers of security solutions."

the end of June 2017, Microsoft published^[24] an official statement regarding Kaspersky Lab's complaint about the violation of antitrust laws by the American company. In a lengthy statement, Microsoft protects its antivirus in Windows 10 and talks about working with antivirus vendors to make the OS compatible with third-party security products. According to the author of the statement, Microsoft spokesman Rob Lefferts, Windows Defender is one of the top antivirus solutions on the market with a 99% detection rate. "We created Windows Defender Antivirus to convince our customers that every device running Windows 10 will ALWAYS be protected from viruses and malware," Lefferts said. According to the statement, Microsoft is cooperating with 80% of independent software manufacturers as part of the Microsoft Virus Initiative (MVI) program, which allows antivirus vendors to prepare for the release of new versions of Windows and optimize their products for them to avoid compatibility problems. Thanks to the Windows test program for insiders, manufacturers can test the compatibility of their antiviruses with new versions of the OS

2016

Plan to appeal to the European Commission with a complaint against Microsoft

On December 12, 2016, it became known about Kaspersky Lab's plans to contact the European Commission with a complaint against Microsoft, which, according to the company, does not give time to adapt products to updated versions of Windows, which is why Windows Defender antivirus uses an undeserved preference. The appeal is expected in January 2017.

Antivirus software developers believe that because of the decision made by the American corporation, they cannot "fully fulfill their obligations to users." As a result, customers are left without protection, and Kaspersky Lab suffers financial losses^[25]

The essence of the claims is that Microsoft does not give software protection product developers enough time to ensure compatibility of their products before the release of RTM versions of Windows 10. The developers had two months and six calendar days before the release of Windows 8 and Windows 7 - this time was not enough to properly modify software technologies, ensure their full compatibility and the effectiveness of reflecting all cyber threats from the first day of availability of the OS version.

When the user switches to Windows 10 and the current version of antivirus software is incompatible with this OS, the client is not informed about the need to install a compatible version, according to the developers of antivirus products. Third-party antivirus software is removed, instead of it, Windows Defender antivirus built into Windows is enabled without explicit user consent.

In November 2016, Windows Defender preferences caused a complaint from Kaspersky Lab to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). The developers of the Antivirus software said then, they did not immediately contact the regulators, since Microsoft is a partner.

Now Kaspersky Lab plans to complain to the European Commission about Microsoft's actions. Several months of direct negotiations with Microsoft were unsuccessful.

A few years ago, Microsoft embarked on a course to reform the Windows platform. Of course, good intentions are convenience, security, performance, etc. In fact, behind the scenes, Microsoft elegantly captures niche markets and squeezes independent developers out of there, replacing them and offering users their products not of the best quality. Evgeny Kaspersky, head of the company

The FAS opened a case against an American company on the grounds of abuse of a dominant position (part 1 of article 10 of the law on protection of competition). Evgeny Kaspersky called on all independent software developers for Windows to "act as a united front" against violating the law.

Cooperation project with Europol and the Dutch police in the fight against ransomware

Kaspersky Lab and Intel Security, together with Europol and the Dutch police, launched the No More Ransom project. Its goal is to combat ransomware that infects computers and mobile devices, making information on them unreadable. You can restore access only for a "ransom," writes Kommersant. Kaspersky^[26].

The project has created a site of the same name on which users can find information about threats, as well as use four key tools for decrypting data for free after an attack by several widespread ransomware. In addition, the project website allows you to notify the police about an "attack" if the incident occurred in one of the countries. European Union

According to Kaspersky Lab, the number of users attacked using ransomware from April 2015 to March 2016 increased 5.5 times compared to the previous period and amounted to 718.5 thousand people. Most often, users became victims of TeslaCrypt, CTB-Locker, Scatter and Cryakl, which accounted for almost 80% of all attacks.

"The main problem with ransomware and ransomware today is that often victims agree to pay without seeing another way to return access to their valuable data," said Fyodor Sinitsyn, senior antivirus analyst at Kaspersky Lab. "This behavior of users leads to the emergence of new players and spurs the cybercriminal economy."

Kaspersky Lab has been cooperating with Europol for several years.

2015: Cooperation with Europol and Interpol in the investigation of the Carbanak group

In February 2015, Kaspersky Lab took an active part in the investigation of Europol and Interpol against the Carbanak group, which stole money from banks and payment systems around the world.

2014: Collaboration with Europol and FBI to investigate Shylock Trojan attacks

In June 2014, the company assisted Europol, the FBI and the UK Government Communications Center in an operation to neutralize criminals who attacked online banking systems using the Shylock Trojan.

2013: Launch of flagship office in London

In mid-October 2013, Kaspersky Lab plans to open an office in London, which will act as a "pan-European hub" for employees and customers of the company. The new office will consist of more than 100 employees, including both those working exclusively in the British market and at the European and world level.

At the time of the opening of the London office, sales and marketing departments in the UK should move to it, and the rest of the units are planned to be "settled" into the new office gradually over two years.

Previously, the role of the pan-European office of Kaspersky Lab was played by an office located in the German city of Ingolstadt. The opening of the European hub in London at Kaspersky Lab is explained by the importance of the UK as a region for itself: business growth and expanding its presence here in the company are called one of the key priorities.

We are confident that the consolidation of British, European and global operations within one new office will contribute to the synergy of the company's entire business and, as a result, will increase the satisfaction of our customers, "says Alexander Moiseev, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab in Europe

Kirill Slavin, who previously held senior positions at PepsiCo, Deloitte & Touche, Rinaco Plus, will take over as Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab in the UK from September 2, 2013.

This position will go to Slavin from Malcolm Tuck, who, after the appointment of a new leader, will take the position of Director of Strategic Partnerships in Europe. In this position, he will participate in building long-term relationships with system integrators and other large European partners, the company says.

2003

Takeover of Romanian RAC development team

In 2003, a team of developers of the Romanian AV antivirus system joined the Kaspersky Lab team.

Opening offices in Japan and China

In 2003, Kaspersky Lab offices were opened in several countries, including Japan and China.

1999: First foreign office in Britain

In June 1999, the first foreign representative office of the company opened - Kaspersky Labs UK in Cambridge, UK.

1996: Licensing the core of Germany's G Data and Japan's Vintage Solutions

In September 1996, the AVP antivirus kernel was licensed for use in the antivirus product of the German company G Data and the Japanese Vintage Solutions.

Notes