Kaspersky set to open first Transparency Centre in AsiaPac in Cyberjaya

• 3^rd code review facility will be located alongside key cyber-related agencies, companies
• Guests can learn more about Kaspersky’s engineering and data processing practices

In line with its drive towards building trust in the cybersecurity industry, Kaspersky on Fri Aug 16 announced the opening of its first Transparency Center in Asia Pacific, in partnership with CyberSecurity Malaysia – the national cybersecurity specialist agency of Malaysia. The company’s third code review facility will be located in Cyberjaya, alongside key cyber-related government agencies and companies in the country.

Like its counterparts in Zurich and Madrid, the Transparency Center in Cyberjaya, Malaysia will serve as a trusted facility for the company’s partners and government stakeholders to come and check the source code of Kaspersky’s solutions. The new center will also function as a briefing center where guests will be able to learn more about Kaspersky’s engineering and data processing practices.

Government regulators and enterprise clients of Kaspersky can request to review the company’s solutions and services including threat analysis, secure review, and the application security testing process. They can also review the source code of Kaspersky’s flagship consumer and enterprise solutions – Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS); Kaspersky Endpoint Security (KES), and Kaspersky Security Center (KSC), which is a console for the company’s business products.

As well as these, stakeholders can also review all versions of Kaspersky’s builds and AV-database updates as well the information the company processes such as data feeds from Kaspersky products that are sent to the cloud-based Kaspersky Security Network (KSN).

Access to the Transparency Center is available upon request. More information on how Kaspersky Transparency Centers work is available on the website.

Eugene Kaspersky, founder and CEO of Kaspersky, said: “It’s great to be here in Kuala Lumpur – in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region – to announce the opening of our third Transparency Center.”

Against the backdrop of the US government accusing it in 2017 of spying for the Russian government and banning US government agencies from using Kaspersky software, Eugene stresses that the company intends to show customers and government stakeholders that its products are, “100% trustworthy and ensure the highest level of cybersecurity protection.”

The company has strongly denied the accusations saying: "Kaspersky Lab is available to assist all concerned government organizations with any ongoing investigations, and the company ardently believes a deeper examination of Kaspersky Lab will confirm that these allegations are unfounded."

Meanwhile, Eugene also make the point that the launch proves that the activities planned under its pioneering Global Transparency Initiative remain on track.

A brainchild of his, Global Transparency Initiative aims to address the growing demand from partners and government stakeholders for more information on how its products and technologies work. The center will receive its first visitors early next year.

“We are excited to unlock the doors of this digital hub to let users experience the services and capabilities of Kaspersky’s cybersecurity technology here in our region. As a paradigm shift for the cybersecurity industry, this facility - the first in the region - will be located in Cyberjaya, all thanks to the kind cooperation of CyberSecurity Malaysia. We are grateful for their trust and commitment towards us as this third-party validation proves that private companies and public agencies can team-up to better protect users from cybercrime,” comments Stephan Neumeier, managing director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.

Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab, CEO of CyberSecurity Malaysia said, “As the threat landscape continues to evolve in Malaysia and in the region, we believe that it is crucial for private companies such as Kaspersky and government agencies to build trust and mutual cooperation. Kaspersky’s willingness to open their doors and data processes further shows that they have nothing to hide. As a third-party entity, we also share their insights and concerns to make the cybersecurity industry better. We really hope that our partnership will be an example for more governments and private entities in exercising fairness and transparency for the benefit of our citizens and the cybersecurity industry.”

Since the company’s announcement in October 2017, Kaspersky’s Global Transparency Initiative has been demonstrating good progress. In particular, the company:

• Started relocating customer data storage and processing infrastructure for European users from Russia to Zurich, Switzerland, to be completed by the end of 2019.
• Opened two Transparency Centers in Europe – in Zurich (November 2018) and Madrid (June 2019). The Spanish Center also serves as a briefing center for key company stakeholders.
• Successfully completed the Service Organization Control for Service Organizations (SOC 2) Type 1 audit. The final report, issued by one of the Big Four accounting firms, confirms that the development and release of Kaspersky’s threat detection rules databases (AV databases) are protected from unauthorized changes by strong security controls. To learn more and to request the Kaspersky SOC 2 Type 1 Report, please visit the website.
• Has been developing its Bug Bounty program. Since the announcement of the program’s extension, the company resolved 66 bugs reported by security researchers and awarded almost US$45,000 (RM188,000) in bounty rewards. The company also supports the Disclose.io framework which provides Safe Harbor for vulnerability researchers concerned about potential negative legal consequences of their discoveries.

Learn more about Kaspersky transparency principles and the Global Transparency Initiative here: www.kaspersky.com/about/transparency