Kaspersky Lab is adapting its infrastructure to move a number of core processes from Russia to Switzerland. This includes customer data storage and processing for most regions, as well as software assembly, including threat detection updates. By the end of 2019, data from customers in Europe, North America, Japan, Singapore, Australia and South Korea will be stored and processed in Zurich. To ensure full transparency and integrity, Kaspersky Lab is arranging for this activity to be supervised by an independent third party, also based in Switzerland.
The new measures are part of Kaspersky Lab's Global Transparency Initiative, announced in October 2017, and include the transfer of data storage and processing for a number of regions, the relocation of software assembly and the opening of the first Transparency Centre. The decision to move part of its business from Russia follows several governments, including the US, UK and Netherlands, restricting use of Kaspersky products due to the company's alleged links to the Russian state and cyber-espionage activities. Kaspersky has refuted the claims.
Kaspersky Lab will relocate its 'software build conveyer' to Zurich, a set of programming tools used to assemble ready-to-use software out of source code. Before the end of the year, Kaspersky Lab products and threat detection rule databases (AV databases) will start to be assembled and signed with a digital signature in Switzerland, before being distributed to the endpoints of customers worldwide. The relocation will ensure that all newly assembled software can be verified by an independent organisation, and show that software builds and updates received by customers match the source code provided for audit.
The source code of Kaspersky Lab products and software updates will be available for review by responsible stakeholders in a dedicated Transparency Centre that will also be hosted in Switzerland and is expected to open this year. Kaspersky Lab is arranging for the data storage and processing, software assembly, and source code to be independently supervised by a third party qualified to conduct technical software reviews. Kaspersky Lab supports the creation of a new, non-profit organisation to take on this responsibility, not just for the company, but for other partners and members who wish to join.
