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Science & Technology
Use Kaspersky Lab AntiVirus? FSB (Russian Intel) controls them
2015-03-23
People familiar with the technology [Kaspersky Antivirus and Internet Suite] say it can be altered to gather identifying information from individual computers and has been used to aid the FSB in investigations.

Kaspersky Lab's ties dramatically increased after two waves of executive departures, say four of the former insiders. The first came in 2012, after Kaspersky scotched an IPO partnership with Greenwich (Conn.) investment firm General Atlantic. Afterward, Chief Business Officer Garry Kondakov circulated an internal e-mail saying that from then on, the company's highest positions would be held only by Russians

High-level managers have left or been fired, their jobs often filled by people with ties to Russia's military or intelligence services. Some of these people actively aid investigations by the FSB, the KGB's successor, using data from some of the 400 million customers who rely on Kaspersky Lab's software, say six current and former employees who declined to discuss the matter publicly because they feared reprisals.

The bottom line: Popular security-software maker Kaspersky Lab has close ties to Russian military and intelligence officials.
I'd recommend using something else. Apparently they do not investigate much Russian based malware or virus tech if it is part of the FSB "sponsored" stuff
Posted by:OldSpook

#9  For the last three years Kaspersky has been reporting everything used against Iran's nuclear program as if it's part of a broad-spectrum surveillance attempt against regular users. Snowden's half-truth 'revelations' are designed to reinforce this idea.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2015-03-23 20:55  

#8  CF - the last time I used software from Comcast (Norton something or other), it conflicted w/ my tax software. I uninstalled it and got an unrecoverable BSOD, so I had to rebuild my machine in the middle of tax season.

That, and I haven't used Norton since they were folded into Symantec. I think Norton's been shit software since that move.
Posted by: Raj   2015-03-23 18:41  

#7  Note that some US AV companies are suspected to be compromised regarding NSA bugs. Not exactly unexpected.
Posted by: OldSpook   2015-03-23 13:19  

#6  Your ISP may offer something for free (or included with your connection). I think Comcast offers Norton 360 or something like that.

Posted by: CrazyFool   2015-03-23 11:43  

#5  Time for me to switch to Microsoft Security Essentials...
Posted by: Raj   2015-03-23 11:27  

#4  just happened to be handy = just happened to be nearby (i.e. "at hand").

Pipes in = to insert something into the conversation. This is probably an old shipping term when they used pipes to communicate between different sections of the ship.
Posted by: gorb   2015-03-23 09:55  

#3  ed in Texas. Could you please repost in Standard US English? There are people outside your county who have no idea what "handy pipes" means.
Posted by: JFM   2015-03-23 08:29  

#2  Just catching on to that? The big clue was the press releases on NSA bug plants that had an extensive interview with Snowden, and then a Kapersky guy who just happened to be handy pipes in.
They've been suspect for a long time; now it's overt.
Posted by: ed in texas   2015-03-23 07:28  

#1  I'm shocked. Not.
Posted by: gorb   2015-03-23 07:22  

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