Kaspersky Offers Source Code To U.S. Government

Moscow-based computer security company Kaspersky Lab has been in the sights of lawmakers in the United States recently as it’s suspected of having a relationship with the Russian government. As you’re probably aware, Russia is a very touchy topic in the U.S. right now, as the country is still waiting to hear the end of the ongoing investigation. The founder of this company, Eugene Kaspersky, has said that he’s open to handing over the source code to the United States if that will help them believe that Kaspersky’s products haven’t been compromised by the Russians.

“If the United States needs, we can disclose the source code,” Eugene Kaspersky said in an interview with the AP, adding that “Anything I can do to prove that we don’t behave maliciously I will do it.”

The source code is generally regarded as the most valuable possession of a software firm. It’s what the entire business is based on and hence no software company willingly opens up its proprietary source code to outsiders.

While there’s no direct evidence of Kaspersky products being compromised by the Russians, there’s circumstancial evidence to support the theory. The founder, Eugene Kaspersky, was educated at a school backed by the KGB and he has also served in Russian intelligence.

The FBI visited the homes of more than 10 Kaspersky employees in the United States last week to question them about the connection between the company’s U.S. and Russian offices. Kaspersky himself has offered to testify before Congress to alleviate any concerns that they might have.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: General
Tags: kaspersky