As the U.S. government and BusinessWeek explore alleged Kaspersky Lab-Russia Government ties, MSP software companies are carefully weighing and balancing their cybersecurity industry alliances.
A case in point: Kaseya continues to partner with Kaspersky Lab and has no plans to abandon the technology, but also offers Webroot antivirus and Malwarebytes antimalware as cybersecurity solutions for MSPs.
Kaspersky Lab has repeatedly denied any ties to any governments. The company has offered to meet with U.S. officials to discuss the topic more fully. Nevertheless, the U.S. government apparently has canceled Kaspersky's GSA Schedule status -- which could make it more difficult for MSPs to offer or leverage Kaspersky solutions in federal deals.
Kaseya's Statement on Kaspersky Lab
In a statement sent to ChannelE2E, Kaseya Chief Product Officer Mike Puglia (pictured above) explained the company's Kaspersky Lab relationship and overall cybersecurity ecosystem strategy in deeper detail. He said:
"Kaspersky has been a valued Kaseya partner for over 10 years. Their security software is trusted by millions of users globally, including Fortune 100 enterprises. Gartner, one of the most respected enterprise IT analyst firms, has ranked Kaspersky as a leader in the Endpoint Protection Magic Quadrant for the last six years and the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) has evaluated and certified Kaspersky’s products to FIPS140-2.
Recently, given the current US-Russia political environment, various statements have been publicly made concerning the influence foreign governments have over software companies such as Kaspersky.
Kaspersky strongly denies all such claims and has offered to provide their complete source code to US officials to alleviate fears. Kaseya has been in close contact with Kaspersky and strongly believes in our partner. We welcome their transparency of offering their code and business practices for inspection by US officials.
While there has been no specific release of any evidence or wrongdoing, such news can be concerning for customers. While we do not plan any changes to our Kaspersky offering, Kaseya also provides Webroot antivirus and Malwarebytes antimalware as options that enables our customers to choose the solution that best meets their business needs."
Puglia's point about FIPS140-2 certification is particularly interesting. According to Wikipedia, The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued the FIPS 140 Publication Series to coordinate the requirements and standards for cryptography modules that include both hardware and software components. Protection of a cryptographic module within a security system is necessary to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of the information protected by the module, the blurb notes.
Where Does Kaspersky Go From Here?
Kaspersky Lab continues to reject any suggestion that the company has ties to Russia's government. The company said on Wednesday it had fallen victim to geopolitical sparring between Russia and the United States, and CEO Eugene Kaspersky remains ready to respond to any questions from U.S. officials, Reuters reported.
Channel partners and MSPs, meanwhile, are seeking clarity amid the controversy. Kaseya's statement certainly shows loyalty to Kaspersky -- while also continuing to offer MSPs market choice in the cybersecurity sector.
