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Kaspersky Lab

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Kaspersky Lab
Company typePrivate
IndustryComputer software
Security software
FoundedMoscow, Russia (1997)
FounderEugene Kaspersky
HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Eugene Kaspersky (CEO)
ProductsKaspersky Anti-Virus
Kaspersky Internet Security
Kaspersky Internet Security for Android
Kaspersky PURE
Kaspersky Total Security
Kaspersky Security for Business
Integrated security
RevenueIncrease US$ 628 million (2012)[1]
Number of employees
+3,000 (2015)[2]
WebsiteKaspersky.com

Kaspersky Lab (/kæˈspɜːrski/ ; Russian: Лаборатория Касперского, Laboratoriya Kasperskovo) is an international software security group operating in almost 200 countries and territories worldwide. The company is headquartered in Moscow, Russia, with its holding company registered in the United Kingdom. Kaspersky Lab currently employs over 2,850 qualified specialists. It has 31 representative territory offices in 30 countries and its products and technologies provide service for over 300 million users and over 250,000 corporate clients worldwide. The company is specially focused on large enterprises, and small and medium-sized businesses.

Overview

Kaspersky Lab offers consumer security products, such as anti-virus, anti-malware and firewall applications, in addition to security systems designed for small business, corporations and large enterprises. Corporate solutions include protection for workstations, file servers, mail servers, payment gateways, banking servers, mobile devices, and internet gateways,[3] managed through a centralized Administration Kit. These applications are also available in bundled security suites,[4] scaled to fit the requirements of organizations of varying sizes.

Kaspersky Lab ranks fourth in the global ranking of antivirus vendors.[5] It was the first Russian company to be included into the rating of the world’s leading software companies, called the Software Top 100 (79th on the list, as of 6/29/2012). Kaspersky Lab is ranked 4th in Endpoint Security segment according to IDC data for 2010.[6] According to Gartner, Kaspersky Lab is currently the third largest vendor of consumer IT security software worldwide and the fifth largest vendor of Enterprise Endpoint Protection. Kaspersky Lab has been named a "Leader" in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms.[7]

Competitors

Kaspersky Lab competes in the antivirus industry against Avast, AVG, Avira, BitDefender, BullGuard, ESET, F-Secure, Frisk, G Data, McAfee, Panda Security, Sophos, Symantec, and Trend Micro, among others.

History

The first product, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, was released by Eugene Kaspersky in the middle of 1997.

In 2006, Kaspersky Lab was ranked as the fastest growing internet security software within the United States,[8] based on NPD Group sales data.

In 2010, Kaspersky launched a consumer security suite named Kaspersky Pure.

As of 2012, the line of Kaspersky home-user products consisted of Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS), Kaspersky Anti-Virus (KAV), Kaspersky Mobile Security (KMS) and AVZ Antiviral Toolkit, Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac, Kaspersky Password Manager, and Kaspersky KryptoStorage.[9]

In 2014, Kaspersky certified their products for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, and optimized it for multiple CPU cores.[10]

As of 2015, Kaspersky Total Security is the flagship digital security product, with integrated anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-spyware and firewall features.[11] Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS) is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Android devices. Business solutions include Kaspersky Endpoint Security and Targeted Security Solutions for various kinds of server applications.[12]

Products

Home screen of Kaspersky Internet Security
  • Kaspersky Internet Security is an integrated suite of protection tools for internet users on Microsoft Windows, that protects against viruses, spyware, phishing, email spam, rootkits, advertisement banners and network-based attacks.[14] It also contains a full-featured firewall to control network access of individual applications.
  • Kaspersky Internet Security for Android is an integrated suite of protection tools for internet users on Android mobile devices, that protects against viruses and malware attacks.[15] It contains special features for mobile users, such as anti-theft protection, remote device locking and geo-location, and remote data wiping.[15]
  • Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac is an anti-virus and anti-malware application for Mac OS X computers, that protects against viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware and adware.[16] It also blocks network-based attacks.
  • Kaspersky Endpoint Security is an integrated digital security solution for businesses, that protects devices running Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X or Linux from malware and other threats.[17] It is centrally controlled from an online management console, and its client applications are designed for both desktop and server devices.[17] It contains features for remote administration, remote deployment and includes strong cryptography for data encryption, with file-level encryption (FLE) and full disk encryption (FDE).[17] It contains special features for mobile devices, allows separation of corporate data and personal data, and includes anti-theft features.[17]
  • Kaspersky Password Manager securely stores entered password data, and automatically logs users onto known websites. It also automatically fills in web forms using a learning algorithm, and synchronizes password data across multiple user devices.[18] A free version is available for up to 15 passwords.
  • SecureList.com is a computer security portal run by Kaspersky Lab that is devoted to educating the general public about different aspects of internet security. It hosts a Virus Encyclopedia which provides information about various types of computer malware.

Independent assessments

The anti-virus software testing group AV-Comparatives gave the Windows XP version of Kaspersky AV an "Advanced+" rating (its highest) in both its February 2008 on-demand detection test (with the fourth highest detection rate among 16 products tested).[19] However, in the Retrospective/Proactive Test May 2008, Kaspersky received the "Standard" rating, detecting 21% of new malware with 1-month old signatures and receiving a substantial amount of false positives.[20]

The firewall included in Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 got a "Very Good" rating in Matousec's Firewall challenge,[21] with a result of 85%. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0 has achieved a 6.5 result out of 8 in the Anti Malware Labs rootkit detection test.[22] It has also achieved a 31 out of 33 detection of polymorphic viruses[23] and a 97% result in the self-protection test.[24] In 2007, Kaspersky Internet Security 7 received an award from the British magazine PC Pro and also won a place in its "A List".[25]

In addition, Kaspersky has passed most of Virus Bulletin comparative tests since August 2003 (failing 8 of 54 tests).[26] According to PC World magazine, Kaspersky anti-virus software provides the fastest updates for new virus and security threats in the industry.[27] In the December of 2011 version of AV-Comparatives' annual reports, Kaspersky Lab's software has achieved highest overall ranking and has earned the AV Comparatives' "Product of the Year" award for the year of 2011 and year 2013.[28]

In PC World magazine’s March 2010 comparison of consumer security suites, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 scored 4.5/5 stars, and was rated second overall.[29]

On 1 February 2012, the Kaspersky Internet Security has earned "AV-TEST Award for Best Repair 2011" award in the field of home user products from AV-TEST Institute.[30] On 28 January 2013, the Kaspersky Endpoint Security has earned "AV-TEST Award for Best Protection 2012" and "AV-TEST Award for Best Repair 2012" awards in the field of corporate products from AV-TEST Institute.[31]

Kaspersky has also received certification of their products through the OESIS OK Certification Program, which verifies that the applications are interoperable with third-party technology solutions like NAC and SSL VPN products from Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, F5 Networks, and others.[32]

In 2013, earned the product of the year award from AV-Comparatives and the highest score in the dennis labs report [33]

Partnerships

The Kaspersky Anti-Virus engine also powers products or solutions by other security vendors, such as Check Point, Bluecoat, Juniper Networks, Microsoft Forefront,[34] Netintelligence, Clearswift, FrontBridge, Netasq, Wedge Networks, and others. Altogether, more than 120 companies are licensing technology from Kaspersky Lab. Kaspersky Lab also has a number of partnerships with various technology companies.

The International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats where Datuk Mohd Noor Amin acts as the Chairman, announced the appointment of Harry Cheung – Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab, APAC – as the Goodwill Ambassador for Greater China.[35]

Kaspersky Lab runs several global sponsorships, for example, the Scuderia Ferrari Racing Team[36] and geographical expeditions.[37]

Litigation

In May 2007, adware distributor Zango filed a lawsuit against Kaspersky Lab, accusing it of trade libel for blocking the installation of Zango software. In August, the court[38] ruled that the Communications Decency Act granted immunity to Kaspersky.[39]

Controversy

In March 2015, Bloomberg accused Kaspersky to have close ties to Russian military and intelligence officials. In 2007 the company itself claimed in its Japanese ad campaign with the slogan "A Specialist in Cryptography from KGB." The sales tactic, a local partner’s idea, was "quickly removed by headquarters."[40] However, Kaspersky himself graduated from the FSB Academy, formerly a KGB institution.[41]

Kaspersky slammed the claims in his blog, calling the coverage "sensationalist" and guilty of "exploiting paranoia" to "increase readership," but did not state clearly whether these claims are true or not.[42]

Discoveries

Flame malware

Main article: Flame (malware)

In May 2012, Kaspersky Lab identified the malware Flame, which a researcher described as potentially "the most sophisticated cyber weapon yet unleashed."[43] According to the researchers in Kaspersky lab, the malware had infected an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 machines world wide[44][45] when asked by the United Nations International Telecommunications Union to investigate reports of a virus affecting Iranian Oil Ministry computers.[46] As Kaspersky Lab investigated, they discovered an MD5 hash and filename that appeared only on customer machines from Middle Eastern nations. After discovering more pieces, researchers dubbed the program "Flame" after the name of one of its modules.[46]

Equation Group

Main article: Equation Group

At the Kaspersky Security Analysts Summit held in Mexico on February 16, 2015, Kaspersky Lab announced its discovery of the Equation Group. According to Kaspersky Lab's report, the group has been active since at least 2001, with more than 60 actors. The malware used in their operations, dubbed EquationDrug and GrayFish, is found to be capable of reprogramming hard disk drive firmware. Because of the advanced techniques involved and high degree of covertness, the group is suspected of ties to the NSA, but Kaspersky Lab has been unable to identify the actors behind the group.[47]

Patents

As of June 2015, Kaspersky Lab had 322 patents in Russia, the US, China and Europe. The company has a further 301 patent applications pending in several countries.[48]

See also

References

  1. ^ Paul Sonne (2013-09-03). "Data-Security Expert Kaspersky: There Is No More Privacy". The Wall Street Journal. wsj.com. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  2. ^ "About Us". Kaspersky.com. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  3. ^ Business Security | Kaspersky Lab United States. Usa.kaspersky.com. Retrieved on 2010-09-29.
  4. ^ Business Security | Kaspersky Lab United States. Usa.kaspersky.com. Retrieved on 2010-09-29.
  5. ^ The company was rated fourth in the IDC rating Worldwide Endpoint Security Revenue by Vendor, 2010. The rating was published in the IDC report Worldwide IT Security Products 2011-2015 Forecast and 2010 Vendor Shares – December 2011. The report ranked software vendors according to earnings from sales of endpoint security solutions in 2010
  6. ^ Worldwide Endpoint Security Revenue by Vendor, 2010
  7. ^ Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms, Peter Firstbrook, Neil MacDonald, John Girard, January 16, 2012
  8. ^ NPD Group/Retail Tracking/Security Software July 2006-June 2009
  9. ^ Products & Services | Kaspersky Lab United States. Usa.kaspersky.com. Retrieved on 2010-09-29.
  10. ^ "System Requirements". Kaspersky Lab.
  11. ^ Kaspersky, Total Security – Multi-Device
  12. ^ Business Security, Kaspersky
  13. ^ Kaspersky, Anti-Virus 2015
  14. ^ Kaspersky, Internet Security 2015
  15. ^ a b Kaspersky, Internet Security for Android
  16. ^ Kaspersky, Internet Security for Mac
  17. ^ a b c d KASPERSKY ENDPOINT SECURITY FOR BUSINESS, Advanced
  18. ^ Kaspersky, Password Manager
  19. ^ "Anti-Virus comparative February 2008". Av-comparatives.org. Retrieved 2013-03-05.[dead link]
  20. ^ "Retrospective / ProActive - Test May 2008". Av-comparatives.org. Retrieved 2013-03-05.[dead link]
  21. ^ "Results and comments". matousec.com. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  22. ^ "Anti-rootkit tests | Anti-Malware Test Lab". Anti-malware-test.com. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  23. ^ "Anti-Malware Solutions Test Results | Anti-Malware Test Lab". Anti-malware-test.com. Retrieved 2012-03-08.[dead link]
  24. ^ "Self-protection test | Anti-Malware Test Lab". Anti-malware-test.com. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  25. ^ "Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 receives two top awards in testing conducted by the British magazine PC Pro". Kaspersky Lab. 2007-04-05.
  26. ^ "VB100 Results Overview: Kaspersky".
  27. ^ "Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 (Full Product)". PC World Magazine. 2005-01-25. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
  28. ^ "AV-Comparatives - Independent Tests of Anti-Virus Software - Summary Reports". Av-comparatives.org. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
  29. ^ Kaspersky Lab Internet Security 2010 Antivirus & Security Software Review. PCWorld (2010-03-30). Retrieved on 2010-09-29.
  30. ^ "AV-TEST Award 2011". AV-TEST. 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  31. ^ "AV-TEST 2012 Awards". AV-TEST.org. 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  32. ^ New versions of Kaspersky Lab's personal products. Kaspersky.com (2009-07-31). Retrieved on 2010-09-29.
  33. ^ http://www.av-comparatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/avc_sum_201312_en.pdf
  34. ^ "About our Partner: Microsoft Forefront". Kaspersky Lab.
  35. ^ Event - Kaspersky Official eStore Southeast Asia
  36. ^ Scuderia Ferrari Sponsorship
  37. ^ "Kaspersky Lab to Support Felicity Aston in the Kaspersky One Transantarctic Expedition". Kaspersky.com. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
  38. ^ "Opinion of Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit" (PDF). June 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-07.
  39. ^ "Zango tries, fails to sue its way out from under the "spyware" label". ars technica. August 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  40. ^ "The Company Securing Your Internet Has Close Ties to Russian Spies". Bloomberg.
  41. ^ http://www.scmagazineuk.com/kaspersky-lab-repudiates-new-russian-spy-claims/article/404684/
  42. ^ http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2400725/eugene-kaspersky-intensifies-us-vs-russia-flame-war-accusing-bloomberg-of-creating-conspiracy-theories-about-his-company
  43. ^ Chloe Albanesius (28 May 2012). "Massive 'Flame' Malware Stealing Data Across Middle East". PC World. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  44. ^ "Flame virus: Five facts to know". 29 May 2012.
  45. ^ Damien McElroy and Christopher Williams (28 May 2012). "Flame: world's most complex computer virus exposed". The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  46. ^ a b Kim Zetter (28 May 2012). "Meet 'Flame', The Massive Spy Malware Infiltrating Iranian Computers". Wired. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  47. ^ http://www.kaspersky.com/about/news/virus/2015/equation-group-the-crown-creator-of-cyber-espionage
  48. ^ "Kaspersky Lab's Q1 2015 Patents Digest". Kaspersky. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
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