Kaspersky, a global leader in cybersecurity, has announced the expansion of its Global Transparency Initiative (GTI) by opening a new Transparency Center in Seoul, South Korea. This move reinforces Kaspersky’s dedication to enhancing the security assurance of its products and services, offering stakeholders unprecedented access to its practices and product source code. Located in Kaspersky’s Seoul office, the new facility joins a growing network of centers across the globe, giving customers, partners, and regulators the tools to independently verify the security and integrity of the company’s solutions.
Pioneering Digital Trust through Transparency
Kaspersky was the first cybersecurity company to launch a transparency initiative of this scale, opening its source code for external review under the Global Transparency Initiative (GTI). By doing so, the company promotes a verifiable approach to trustworthiness in cybersecurity products, offering stakeholders the ability to conduct independent reviews of Kaspersky’s threat detection rules, software updates, and source code.
The new Transparency Center in Seoul is Kaspersky’s fourth in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. It will cater to local regulators, customers, and business partners, providing an in-depth view of the company’s security development processes.
Three Levels of Security Review
To accommodate various levels of security assessment needs, visitors to the Seoul Transparency Center can choose from three distinct review options:
- Blue Piste: A general overview of Kaspersky’s security development processes and data management practices.
- Red Piste: A targeted analysis of critical source code features, guided by Kaspersky specialists.
- Black Piste: The most comprehensive source code review, offering visitors the opportunity to conduct an in-depth assessment with expert assistance.
These levels of review provide flexibility for visitors seeking to assess the security of Kaspersky’s products, from basic overviews to deep-dive technical evaluations. In addition to source code review, stakeholders can also examine Kaspersky’s secure software development documentation, including threat analysis and security testing processes.
Commitment to Accountability in Cybersecurity
Genie Sugene Gan, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Kaspersky in the Asia-Pacific-Japan and META regions, emphasized the importance of transparency in today’s cybersecurity environment. “Kaspersky Transparency Centers are a testament to our commitment to building a more accountable cybersecurity ecosystem. By opening our new Seoul Center, we believe that, by sharing our practices with the broader community, we can foster greater trust in ICT solutions, while also contributing to the collective effort to combat global cyberthreats,” said Gan.
Broader Scope of the Global Transparency Initiative
Since its inception, Kaspersky’s Global Transparency Initiative has introduced several additional measures to foster trust and accountability in the cybersecurity space. These measures include the relocation of cyberthreat-related data storage to Zurich, Switzerland, third-party reviews of internal processes, and increased bug bounty rewards of up to $100,000 for identifying critical vulnerabilities in Kaspersky products. Kaspersky has also launched a Cyber Capacity Building Program and regularly releases Transparency Reports.
Kaspersky Transparency Report
Kaspersky’s latest Law Enforcement and Government Requests Report, covering the first half of 2024, reveals a total of 61 requests from nine countries during the reporting period. Notably, all of these requests were related to technical expertise, marking a 10.3% decrease from the same period in 2023. In addition to requests from government agencies, the report also includes data on user requests for information or removal of stored data.
Kaspersky’s Transparency Reports and its broader transparency initiatives are setting industry standards for trust and resilience, offering a blueprint for enhancing accountability in an era of increasing digital threats. With its continued expansion of Transparency Centers, Kaspersky is proving its dedication to fostering a more secure and trustworthy digital world.
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