These activities are being implemented as part of Kaspersky Lab's global information transparency initiative, announced in October 2017 after the United States banned the use of the company's software in US government agencies.
Trusted partners and government organizations will be able to use the transparency center to verify the source code of the company's products. In addition, they will be able to access virus signature databases (virus identification rules), software updates, software security documentation and other important materials, the company said. At the same time, an organization for independent code evaluation has not yet been found, according to Anton Shingarev, the company's vice president for public affairs.
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Two more transparency centers are expected to open in Asia and North America.
"We plan to open the next transparency center in Asia in 2019. It is more difficult to do this in the United States. But, we, in fact, have plans to do this in North America. It will most likely be Canada. It is very difficult to do this in the United States, because our dialogue with US regulators is frozen," Shingarev said.
The company also began processing data on cyberthreats from European users in two data processing centers in Zurich that contain one-third of the company's entire user base, Shingarev added.
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At this stage, the company will invest $3 million in the center by the end of the year. Another $9 million in investment is planned for 2019, when the company will transfer the storage and processing facilities of user information from North America, Singapore, Australia, Japan and South Korea, to Zurich, according to Shingarev.
US authorities banned Kaspersky Lab products last September after becoming concerned about its presence in federal networks in the wake of Russia’s alleged 2016 election meddling. Kaspersky Lab appealed the decision, but a judge in the District of Columbia rejected the company’s claim that the ban was unconstitutional.
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Kaspersky Lab insists it operates independently and transparently, and has repeatedly denied ever having worked for any government or engaged in espionage.
