Kaspersky Lab facts for kids
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Kaspersky Virus Lab (September 18, 2014)
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| Private | |
| Industry | Computer software |
| Founded | Moscow, Russia (1997) |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | Moscow, Russia
Regional units: Dubai, UAE; Istanbul, Turkey; London, United Kingdom; Mexico City, Mexico; Midrand, South Africa; São Paulo, Brazil; Singapore; Woburn, Massachusetts, USA |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Eugene Kaspersky (CEO) |
| Products | Cybersecurity software |
| Services | Computer security |
| Revenue | US$704 million (2020) |
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Number of employees
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4,000+ (2020) |
Kaspersky Lab is a big company from Russia that focuses on cybersecurity. They create and sell software to protect computers and phones from viruses and other online threats. Their main office is in Moscow, Russia.
The company was started in 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky, Natalya Kaspersky, and Alexey De-Monderik. Kaspersky Lab makes many products, including antivirus, internet security, and tools for managing passwords.
Kaspersky grew a lot between 2005 and 2010. By 2020, they made $704 million in sales. In 2016, about 400 million people used their software. They are one of the biggest cybersecurity companies in Europe. Kaspersky Lab is also one of the top companies globally for selling antivirus software.
The Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) is a special group within the company. They have found very complex online spying tools used by different countries. For example, they helped uncover the Stuxnet worm. This team studies over 350,000 new malware samples every day.
Kaspersky has faced some questions about its connections to the Russian government. The company has always said these claims are not true. In 2017, the U.S. government stopped using Kaspersky products in its departments. Kaspersky has since moved some of its data for international customers from Russia to Switzerland. They also opened special "transparency centers" in several countries. These centers let government experts check their software's code.
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The History of Kaspersky Lab
The first version of Kaspersky's antivirus software was made by Eugene Kaspersky in 1989. He created it to fight the Cascade Virus. Early versions were very simple and shared mostly with friends. Eugene kept working on the software, and it became known as AntiViral Toolkit Pro (AVP) in 1992. It became popular in 1994 after a study by Hamburg University ranked it number one.
Starting Kaspersky Lab
In 1997, Eugene Kaspersky, his wife Natalya, and Alexey De-Monderik started Kaspersky Lab. They wanted to keep developing the antivirus software. The product was later renamed Kaspersky Anti-Virus.
In 1998, a virus called CIH spread quickly. For three weeks, Kaspersky Lab's software was the only one that could remove it. This made their software very popular. It led to deals with other antivirus companies in Japan, Finland, and Germany.
Kaspersky's software was very advanced for its time. For example, it was the first to put viruses in a safe, isolated area called "quarantine." The company grew very fast, with sales increasing by 280 percent from 1998 to 2000. Most of their sales came from other countries. They opened offices in many places, including the UK, Poland, China, Germany, France, the US, and Japan. By 2000, the company had 65 employees and sold products in over 40 countries.
Recent Developments
In 2011, a company called General Atlantic bought a part of Kaspersky Lab. They thought Kaspersky might become a public company. But Kaspersky decided to stay private and bought back the shares.
In 2012, Kaspersky Lab left the Business Software Alliance (BSA). This was because the BSA supported a bill called SOPA. Kaspersky Lab did not support it, saying it would harm technology and users.
By 2013, the company made $667 million in sales. In 2014, Kaspersky Lab made a deal with Ingram Micro. This helped them sell their products to many more businesses.
In 2015, some former employees claimed that Kaspersky had tricked other antivirus software. They said Kaspersky put special files into a database to make competitors think harmless files were viruses. Kaspersky denied these claims.
In 2023, Kaspersky Lab found that many of its senior staff's iPhones were attacked. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) later said the American National Security Agency and Apple were behind the attack. Kaspersky Lab said they did not believe they were the main target.
Kaspersky Products and Services
Kaspersky Lab creates and sells many products and services for cybersecurity. These include antivirus software, internet security, and tools to manage passwords. They are one of the biggest companies in the world for protecting computers and phones. About 400 million people use their software.
Software for Home Users
Kaspersky has different software for people to use at home:
- Antivirus: This software protects against malware. It watches your computer for strange program behavior. It also warns you about dangerous websites.
- Internet Security: This adds more features like privacy tools, parental controls, and anti-phishing tools.
- Total Security: This includes everything from Internet Security, plus adult website filters, diagnostic tools, and a password manager.
Kaspersky software works on many devices, including Macs, PCs, Android phones, and iPhones.
Software for Businesses
For businesses, Kaspersky offers the Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business suite. This includes a central system called Kaspersky Security Center. This system helps businesses manage their cybersecurity software. It also has features for quarantining threats and creating reports.
Kaspersky also has a product for smaller businesses (25 staff or less) called Kaspersky Small Office Security (KSOS). They also make free tools to help businesses recover from ransomware attacks.
Threatpost Blog
Threatpost was a popular blog about computer security. Kaspersky Lab funded it, but it was meant to be independent. No new articles have been published on the site since August 2022.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Many other security companies use Kaspersky's antivirus technology in their own products. Over 120 companies license technology from Kaspersky Lab. Kaspersky also works with many other technology companies.
Kaspersky Lab was a long-time partner of the Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari. They also became the team's esports partner. However, in March 2022, they paused this partnership. This was a joint decision due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Discovering Malware and Cyber Threats
Kaspersky Lab's Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) was formed in 2008. This team investigates serious cybersecurity threats and malware operations. Kaspersky is well-known for finding new viruses and vulnerabilities. This has helped them gain sales and respect in the industry.
Since about 2010, Kaspersky has uncovered many cyber-spying and sabotage efforts. These include Stuxnet, Duqu, Flame, Gauss, Regin, and the Equation Group. Many of these were believed to be created by governments.
Stuxnet Worm
In 2010, Kaspersky Lab worked with Microsoft to fight the Stuxnet worm. This worm infected industrial places in Iran. It used hidden flaws in Microsoft Windows. Experts believe the worm was made by the United States and Israel. Its goal was to damage machines in Iran's nuclear program. This was the first time a major government-sponsored cyber-attack was discovered.
Flame Malware
In May 2012, Kaspersky Lab found a malware called Flame. Researchers called it "the most sophisticated cyber weapon yet unleashed." It infected thousands of computers worldwide. Kaspersky found it when the United Nations asked them to investigate a virus affecting computers in Iran. Flame was an earlier version of Stuxnet. Kaspersky never confirmed who made it, but it is thought to have been developed by the National Security Agency (NSA).
Other Discoveries
- Red October: In 2013, Kaspersky found this malware. It had been used for five years to spy on political targets like embassies.
- Mask: In 2014, Kaspersky found Mask malware. It infected 380 organizations in 31 countries. It was believed to be a state-sponsored spying tool.
- Regin: In 2014, Kaspersky and Symantec found Regin. This malware could take control of a computer remotely. It is thought to have come from the Five Eyes alliance.
- Equation Group: In 2015, Kaspersky found a very advanced group called "The Equation Group." They put spying software into the parts of hard drives. This software was very hard to detect. It is suspected to have been developed by the NSA.
- Duqu 2.0: In 2015, Kaspersky reported that its own network had been attacked by government-sponsored malware. This malware was believed to be made by the same people who created Duqu and Stuxnet.
- Android Cyber-Espionage: In 2015, Kaspersky found software used by 60 governments to secretly record data from people's mobile phones.
- Poseidon Group: In 2016, Kaspersky found a group that would infect companies with malware. Then, they would get hired by the same company to fix the problem. Once hired, they would install more hidden malware.
- Titanium: In 2019, Kaspersky found Titanium. This was a very advanced hidden malware (called a backdoor) developed by a cybercrime group called PLATINUM.
Concerns and Government Bans
Since 2015, some Western media and the U.S. government have claimed that Kaspersky has close ties to the Russian government. Kaspersky has always denied these claims.
In 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a law to ban Kaspersky software from government computers. U.S. government groups were not allowed to buy or install Kaspersky software.
In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. government warned American businesses about using Kaspersky software. The FCC also added Kaspersky to its list of threats to U.S. national security. Kaspersky said this decision was "made on political grounds" because of the war. They stated they are "ready to cooperate" with U.S. government groups to address any concerns.
In 2024, some hacked emails suggested that Kaspersky Lab helped the Russian government create software for its spy drones.
See also
In Spanish: Kaspersky Lab para niños
- Antivirus software
- Comparison of antivirus software
- Comparison of computer viruses
- Titanium (malware)
- Shaltai Boltai
- Vault 7
