Eugene Kaspersky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eugene Kaspersky
Евгений Касперский
Kaspersky in 2018
Born	(1965-10-04) 4 October 1965 (age 59) Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, Soviet Union
Alma mater	IKSI
Occupation	Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab
Known for	Founder of Kaspersky Lab
Spouse(s)	Natalya Stutser ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 1998)​
Children	2
Awards	State Prize of the Russian Federation

Eugene Kaspersky (born 4 October 1965) is a Russian expert in cybersecurity. He is the CEO of Kaspersky Lab, a company that helps protect computers from online threats. Kaspersky Lab has about 4,000 employees.

He used to study secret codes and was an officer in the Soviet army. In 1997, he helped start Kaspersky Lab. He also helped find out about online attacks that were sponsored by governments. He believes there should be an international agreement to stop online warfare between countries.

Kaspersky finished his studies in 1987 with a degree in math and computer technology. He became interested in computer security when his computer got a virus in 1989. He then created a program to remove it. Kaspersky helped Kaspersky Lab grow by doing research and selling their products. He became the CEO in 2007 and still holds that position today.

Early life and education

Kaspersky was born on October 4, 1965, in Novorossiysk, Soviet Union. He moved near Moscow when he was nine years old. His father was an engineer, and his mother was a historian who kept old records.

As a child, he loved math and technology. He spent his free time reading math books. When he was 14, he won second place in a math competition. At that age, he also started attending a special math school run by Moscow University.

When he was 16, Kaspersky joined a five-year program at a technical school. This school trained intelligence officers for the Russian military. He graduated in 1987 with a degree in math and computer technology. After college, he worked for the Soviet military intelligence service as a software engineer.

Kaspersky Lab: Protecting computers

How it started

Kaspersky's interest in computer security began in 1989. His computer got infected by a virus called Cascade virus while he was working for the Ministry of Defence. He studied how the virus worked and then created a program to remove it. After that, he kept finding new viruses and making software to get rid of them as a hobby.

At first, Kaspersky's anti-virus software could only recognize about 40 viruses. He mostly shared it with friends. In 1991, he left the military to work full-time on his anti-virus product. He joined a company called KAMI. There, he and his team improved the software and released it in 1992. It was called Antiviral Toolkit Pro.

The software was bought by about ten clients each month, mostly from Ukraine and Russia. It earned about $100 per month. Kaspersky's future wife, Natalya Kaspersky, also worked with him at KAMI.

In 1994, a university in Germany tested many anti-virus programs. Kaspersky's software won first place. This helped his business get more customers from Europe and America.

Kaspersky Lab was officially started three years later by Eugene, his wife Natalya, and their friend Alexey De-Monderik. Natalya was the CEO, and Eugene was in charge of research. The next year, a virus called the CIH virus (also known as the Chernobyl virus) appeared. Kaspersky said his software was the only one at the time that could clean this virus. This helped his company a lot. Their software was very advanced for its time. For example, it was the first to put viruses in a safe, separate area called a "quarantine."

Kaspersky's company grew quickly in the late 1990s. From 1998 to 2000, its yearly earnings grew by 280 percent. By 2000, almost 60 percent of its money came from outside Russia. In 2000, the company had 65 employees, up from 13 in 1997. The anti-virus product was renamed Kaspersky Antivirus in 2000. In 2023, Kaspersky Anti-Virus became Kaspersky Standard, and Kaspersky Internet Security was replaced by Kaspersky Plus.

Finding online threats

As the head of research, Kaspersky wrote articles about viruses. He also went to conferences to talk about his software. He was often asked by technology news outlets for his expert opinion on viruses. He helped create the company's Global Research and Expert Analysis Team (GReAT). This team helps companies and governments investigate online security threats.

Kaspersky Lab became known for finding many cybersecurity threats. In 2015, Kaspersky and his team found a group of hackers called Carbanak who were stealing money from banks. They also found Equation Group, which made advanced spying software. This group was thought to be connected to the National Security Agency in the U.S. These discoveries, along with Kaspersky's strong sales skills and good anti-virus product, made Kaspersky Lab a well-known Russian company around the world.

Leading the company

Kaspersky became the CEO of Kaspersky Lab in 2007. He traveled to many countries each year to promote the company's products. His leadership helped the company grow from being less known to becoming one of the top computer security companies.

In 2011, Kaspersky decided not to sell shares of the company to the public. He said it would make decisions slower and stop them from investing in new ideas for the future. This led to some important people leaving the company, including his ex-wife. More people left in 2014 because of disagreements about how to run the company.

Kaspersky Lab has fought against lawsuits about inventions more strongly than many other tech companies. Kaspersky himself has helped create several inventions, including a system to control how different parts of software work together safely.

By 2015, Kaspersky Lab had more than 2,800 employees. In 2012, Kaspersky was working on software to protect important systems like power plants from online attacks. In 2023, the company's earnings reached $721 million.

Kaspersky Lab also added more cybersecurity products. In 2012, they planned to create a secure operating system to protect important systems from online attacks. By 2023, the company launched new products like SD-WAN and Kaspersky Container Security.

The company has faced some challenges. In 2017, the U.S. government raised concerns about its software. In June 2023, the company reported that its senior staff's iPhones were targeted by a cyberattack. In June 2024, Kaspersky Lab had to leave the U.S. market.

Despite these challenges, Kaspersky Lab still works in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. They also continue to offer a wide range of products.

Kaspersky's ideas

Kaspersky is an important voice among politicians and security experts. He has warned about the danger of online warfare that targets important systems. He often speaks at conferences, asking for an international agreement to ban online attacks by governments.

After a major online attack called Stuxnet, Kaspersky suggested that the internet needed more rules and policing. He thought some parts of the internet could stay private, but more secure areas should require people to prove who they are. He argued that being completely anonymous online mostly helps criminals and hackers. For example, he suggested that to access a nuclear power plant network, you might need a verified digital ID.

Kaspersky believes that online privacy could still be protected. He suggested using a special system where an international group keeps records of who is who online. This way, a person's identity would only be revealed if they were doing something harmful. Some experts worry that a central database of everyone's online identity could be a big risk to privacy.

In a recent interview, Kaspersky said the internet could be split into three zones. A "red zone" for important things like voting or online banking would need an online ID. A "grey zone" might only need age verification. A "green zone" for blogs and news would allow complete freedom of speech. He suggests special systems for "red zone" websites that would only show a user's identity if they were suspected of doing something wrong.

Awards and recognition

• National Friendship Award of China
• CEO of the Year, SC Magazine Europe - 2010
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Virus Bulletin - 2010
• Strategic Brand Leadership Award, World Brand Congress
• Most Powerful Security Executive, SYS-CON Media
• Businessman of the Year, American Chamber of Commerce in Russia — 2011
• Outstanding Contribution to Business Award, CEO Middle
• Technology Hero of the Year, V3 — 2012
• Top-100 Global Thinker, Foreign Policy Magazine — 2012
• Top-100 IT executives, CRN.
• Global High-Tech Award, Armenia - 2015

Personal life and hobbies

Kaspersky lives in Moscow, Russia, with his wife and five children. He and his first wife divorced in 1998.

In 2011, his son, Ivan, was kidnapped. Kaspersky worked with friends and the police to find his son. They set a trap, rescued his son, and arrested many of the kidnappers. This event made Kaspersky more aware of his personal safety. He now travels with bodyguards.

Kaspersky is one of the richest people in Russia. He enjoys racing and drives his sports cars on race tracks as a hobby. He supports various interesting projects, like the Ferrari Formula One racing team and archaeological digs. Kaspersky owns a BMW M3. He describes himself as someone who loves excitement. He has hiked on volcanoes in Russia and has a reserved trip to space with Virgin Galactic.

Kaspersky prefers casual clothes, often wearing jeans and a shirt. He supports university projects and competitions in computer security.

He loves to travel and even helped fund a program for projects that develop sustainable tourism. He often shares travel photos and stories on his personal blog. He also keeps a list of "Top-100 must-see places in the world."

Kaspersky supported a women's expedition to the South Pole in 2009. He also supported the first solo crossing of Antarctica by a woman in 2011, both completed by Felicity Aston.

His company was the official cybersecurity partner for the FIDE World Championship chess tournaments.

See also

In Spanish: Yevgueni Kasperski para niños