Kaspersky Lab Turns Transparency Into Data Protection

Leading cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky Lab, is moving its core infrastructure to Zurich, Switzerland where it is slated to open its first Transparency Center. By the end of 2019, data from customers in different parts of the world will soon be stored and processed in Zurich.

This is part of the cybersecurity company’s Global Transparency Initiative, which was announced in October of 2017 as part of Kaspersky Lab’s ongoing “commitment to working with others to address the growing challenges of industry fragmentation and a breakdown of trust,” according to one rep. Under the broader initiative, there will be a relocation of software assembly, customer data storage, and processing, as well as the opening of the first Transparency Center.

With regards to the relocation of customer data storage and processing, a Kaspersky press release states, “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 Europe, North America, 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.”

As part of its software assembly relocation, Kaspersky Lab will relocate its “software build conveyer” to Zurich. The term refers to a set of tools, namely for programming, that can be employed to assemble ready-to-use software out of source code. Consequently, the company’s products and AV databases would be assembled in Switzerland and signed with a digital signature, at which point they would be sent to customers across the world. This process is slated to begin before the close of 2018. The press release goes on to say, “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.”

The establishment of the first Transparency Center, which is expected to open this year, will ensure the company’s products and software updates are available for review by responsible stakeholders. A Kaspersky statement goes on to say, “This approach will further show that generation after generation of Kaspersky Lab products was built and used for one purpose only: protecting the company’s customers from cyber threats.”

In the effort for better transparency, arranging supervision by a Switzerland-based independent third-party is in the works. The Kaspersky press release says, “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.”

“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,” says Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky Lab.

Reports suggest Kaspersky Lab will also establish Transparency Centers in Asia and North America by 2020. Further, the company reportedly supports the creation of a new, non-profit organization to take on the responsibility of transparency and trust, not just for Kaspersky Lab, but for other partners and members too.