Kaspersky Lab is the name you can trust when it comes to robust cybersecurity products and Anti-virus providers around the globe. It is one of the most sophisticated software development companies and mainly focuses on complex enterprises that include moderate and small businesses. With around 250,00 active policies of corporate customers, Kaspersky Lab holds its business in about 200 nations all across the world. Being one of the leading developers of anti-malware, antivirus, and advanced firewall programs, Kaspersky always performs like a great influencer in the market of tech-giants in competitions like Norton, BullGuard, McAfee, and Avast, etc.
Kaspersky Lab was founded by Eugene Kaspersky, Natalya Kaspersky, and Alexey De- Monderik on June 26th, 1997. Presently the Russian Cybersecurity MNC has its headquarter in Moscow, Russia. A holding company situated in the United Kingdom operates Kaspersky Lab directly from the UK. One of the founders of Kaspersky Lab, Eugene Kaspersky, is the current CEO of the company.
Trajectory to Success
Kaspersky Lab introduced the Kaspersky Anti-virus for the first time in 1997 under the leadership of Eugene Kaspersky. By the end of 2006, the Russian company became one of the
finest cybersecurity firms in the United States states, sales data by NPD Group. The Anti-virus engine later became the first choice of some top vendors such as Microsoft, Check Point, Juniper Networks, and Bluecoat to empower their security products and reinforced the partnership links with over 120 companies. AV comparatives presented Kaspersky, the product of the year award in 2013 after it touched the top rank mark in its AV comparatives test results.
Antivirus & Security Products
Kaspersky Lab mainly develops and offers comprehensive antivirus, internet security, password manager program, endpoint protection program, and various types of cybersecurity additions and services. It is among the largest endpoint protection vendors and largest consumer Information Technology security solutions provider. Kaspersky’s line of consumer softwares comprises three softwares: Anti-virus, Internet Security, and Total Security. The Antivirus software has some significant features like malware protection, anti-phishing tools, Vulnerability Scan, etc.
Early History & Key Events
For a leading cybersecurity firm like Kaspersky Lab, 23 years is a big number for being a top performer of its community. So, a lot of events took place, like Eugene Kaspersky established the company, how the company worked on its aim to keep a strong vision to provide premium cybersecurity, and more. But, most importantly, Kaspersky Lab has grown thoroughly, thoroughly grown as an impressive security solutions provider. Some of the important events that happened in Kaspersky’s last 23 years of excellence.
CIH Virus(CHERNOBYL) Outbreak: In June 1998, a student from Taiwan released the CIH virus also known as Chernobyl. The virus has the capability to destroy the BIOS on some computers. For the first 21 days of the Virus outbreak, Kaspersky Lab’s AVP was the only antivirus software that has the ability to withstand the virus and remove it. This instance raised the demand for Kaspersky’s Antivirus in the market and eventually led to partnerships with cybersecurity companies in Japan, Finland, and Germany to add AVP as integration into their security products.
According to an American magazine, WIRED, Kaspersky’s anti-virus product was “advanced for the time.” One such example of Kaspersky’s futuristic vision is that AVP was the first-ever security software that was able to monitor malware in an isolated quarantine.
In June 1999, Kaspersky Lab established its first office out of Russia; that office was opened in Great Britain. Kaspersky Lab’s revenue raised to 280 per cent from 1998 to 2000, in which the 60% revenues came from Business that happened in foreign companies in China, Holland, Poland, and the UK. Later in February month of 2003, it made an expansion into Germany, France, the US, and Japan.
In January 2004, Kaspersky Labs became the first company ever in the world that updates its antivirus database every hour. Also, in the same year but the December month, Kaspersky Labs became one of the first ransomware decryptors after discovering the first ransomware variations of GPCode, which converted data on computers and asked for the ransom in exchange for the decryption key. Kaspersky Lab was very effective against the ransomware activities and provided softwares that can successfully withstand malware variations and help users in decrypting their sensitive data.
During the year 2005 to 2010, Kaspersky Lab widened its business across foreign countries, and that expansion phase resulted in its growth to $698 million of annual revenue by 2017, which was 8 per cent more than the revenue observed in 2016. Only in North America, the revenue observed 8% in decrease.
In the year 2011, General Atlantic made a purchase of a 20 per cent share of Kaspersky Lab for $200 million because it wanted to help Kaspersky go public. Kaspersky Labs refused to go private, and it also bought all of its shares from General Atlantic. After this incident, many executives departures were observed in 2011 and 2014 regarding the controversies over Kaspersky going public and Eugene’s management skills.
By the end of 2013, the Russian cybersecurity company recorded an unaudited $667 million as its annual revenue. In the next year, Kaspersky Lab sealed a deal for distribution policies with Ingram Micro, and that deal effectively helped in the expansion of its reseller program.
In 2016, Kaspersky Executive Ruslan Stoyanov was taken into custody by Russian authorities on charges of inappropriately dating his work at Kaspersky. In 2019, he was given a conviction of treason.
Conclusion
Kaspersky Lab is one of the most respected names in the history of cybersecurity companies so far. The Russian cybersecurity company has faced different situations in its ongoing journey for the last 23 years, but it has always proven its excellence as the best company when it comes to providing comprehensive antivirus and security solutions to protect your devices, networks, and your routine life over the web.