Der Standard: Kaspersky Lab transfers user data to Russian intelligence services

Kaspersky Lab, one of the world's leading companies developing computer security systems with an annual turnover of $667 million, was accused of working for Russian intelligence services, the Austrian newspaper Der Standard reports, citing an investigation by the American magazine Bloomberg Businessweek.

According to the publication, Kaspersky Lab “transfers large amounts of information to Russian intelligence services.” “For investigative purposes in the field of cybercrime, Kaspersky Lab provides information on almost 400 million users around the world,” according to six current and former employees of the company, who wished to remain anonymous. In addition, according to the same sources, Evgeny Kaspersky, a former FSB officer himself, goes to the bathhouse every week with current FSB officers. He himself says that he “goes to see friends.” Also, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek investigation, the company underwent two restructurings in 2012 and 2014, as a result of which it began to cooperate even more closely with intelligence agencies.

Over the past few months, Kaspersky Lab, as Der Standard recalls, has repeatedly attracted attention with sensational investigations into the surveillance methods used by the US National Security Agency (NSA). “Will no one ask themselves how they know all this,” Businessweek quotes David de Walt, CEO of the American company FireEye, as saying. “He knows what he’s talking about, since FireEye is the American equivalent of Kaspersky Lab and the CIA officially owns a stake in the IT company,” the newspaper adds.