{{Short description|Russian cybersecurity expert (born 1965)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox person | name = Eugene Kaspersky | native_name = {{nobold|Евгений Касперский}} | native_name_lang = ru | image = Eugene Kaspersky Headshot.jpg | alt = A headshot of Eugene Kaspersky | caption = Kaspersky in 2018 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|10|4|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Novorossiysk]], [[Krasnodar Krai]], Soviet Union | spouse = {{marriage|[[Natalya Stutser]]|1986|1998|end=div}} | children = 5 | alma_mater = [[Institute of Cryptography, Telecommunications and Computer Science|IKSI]] | occupation = Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab | known_for = Founder of [[Kaspersky Lab]] | awards = [[State Prize of the Russian Federation]] }} '''Yevgeny Valentinovich Kaspersky'''{{family name footnote|Valentinovich|Kaspersky|lang=Eastern Slavic}} ({{langx|ru|Евгений Валентинович Касперский}}; born 4 October 1965) is a Russian [[cybersecurity]] expert who is the co-founder and the CEO of [[Kaspersky Lab]], an IT security company with 4,000 employees. He was a [[cryptologist]] and officer in the [[Soviet army]] until leaving the service in 1991.<ref name=FT20221211>{{cite news|title=A tech tycoon who values privacy: Entrepreneurship|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3db0fb72-06f0-11e2-92b5-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3t6mslhSv |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250619193128/https://www.ft.com/content/3db0fb72-06f0-11e2-92b5-00144feabdc0 |archive-date=19 June 2025 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|last=Palmer|first=Maija|newspaper=Financial Times |date=26 September 2012}}</ref> He co-founded Kaspersky Lab in 1997 and helped identify instances of government-sponsored [[cyberwarfare]] as the head of research. He has been an advocate for an international treaty prohibiting cyberwarfare.
Kaspersky graduated from [[Institute of Cryptography, Telecommunications and Computer Science|The Technical Faculty (cryptology) of the KGB Higher School]] in 1987 with a degree in mathematical engineering and computer technology. His interest in IT security began when his work computer was infected with the [[Cascade virus]] in 1989 and he developed a program to remove it. Kaspersky helped grow Kaspersky Lab through security research and salesmanship. He became the CEO in 2007 and remains so as of 2024.
==Early life== Kaspersky was born on 4 October 1965<ref name=SalemPressBio>{{citation|url=http://salempress.com/store/pdfs/bios_com_pgs.pdf|title=Salem Press Bios|publisher=Salem Press|access-date=13 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107221239/http://salempress.com/store/pdfs/bios_com_pgs.pdf|archive-date=7 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="three"/> in [[Novorossiysk]], Soviet Union.<ref name="seven">{{cite news | last=Spurgeon | first=Brad | title=Computing a Winning Formula at the Pinnacle of Racing | newspaper=The New York Times | date=6 November 2014 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/07/sports/autoracing/computing-a-winning-formula-at-the-pinnacle-of-racing.html | access-date=11 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="MacFarquhar 2016"/> He grew up near Moscow,<ref name="three"/> where he moved at age nine.<ref name=TheAge20130601>{{cite news | title=Meet Eugene Kaspersky: the man on a mission to wage war against - and kill | newspaper=[[The Age]] | date=1 June 2013 | url=http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/security-it/meet-eugene-kaspersky-the-man-on-a-mission-to-wage-war-against--and-kill--the-computer-virus-20130526-2n611.html | access-date=13 November 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250619201541/https://www.theage.com.au/technology/meet-eugene-kaspersky-the-man-on-a-mission-to-wage-war-against--and-kill--the-computer-virus-20130527-2n611.html |archive-date=19 June 2025}}</ref> His father was an engineer and his mother a historical archivist.<ref name=TheAge20130601/><ref name="MacFarquhar 2016">{{cite web | last=MacFarquhar | first=Neil | title=A Russian Cybersleuth Battles the 'Dark Ages' of the Internet | website=The New York Times | date=10 June 2016 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/11/world/europe/kaspersky-lab-russia-cybercrime-internet.html | access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> As a child he developed an early interest in math<ref name="six">{{cite book | last=Springer | first=P.J. | title=Cyber Warfare: A Reference Handbook | publisher=ABC-CLIO | series=Contemporary World Issues | year=2015 | isbn=978-1-61069-444-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S6egBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA163 | access-date=11 November 2015 | page=163}}</ref><ref name="four">{{cite book | last=Graham | first=L. | title=Lonely Ideas: Can Russia Compete? | publisher=MIT Press | year=2013 | isbn=978-0-262-31739-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tciqAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA93 | access-date=11 November 2015 | pages=93–94}}</ref> and technology.<ref name="thirteen">{{cite news|title=High Five|first=Larry|last=Greenemeier|newspaper=InformationWeek|date=6 March 2006}}</ref> He spent his free time reading math books and won second place in a math competition<ref name="three">{{cite web | title=Interview: Eugene Kaspersky | website=Infosecurity Magazine | date=17 March 2010 | url=https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/interviews/interview-eugene-kaspersky/ | access-date=11 November 2015}}</ref> at age 14.<ref name="MacFarquhar 2016"/> When he was fourteen, Kaspersky began attending A.N. Kolmogorov boarding school, run by [[Moscow University]], specializing in mathematics.<ref name="six"/><ref name="thirteen"/><ref name="five">{{cite book | last=Kshetri | first=N. | title=Global Entrepreneurship: Environment and Strategy | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-317-74803-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=swxgAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT110 | access-date=11 November 2015 | page=110}}</ref> He was also a member of the [[Komsomol]].<ref name=TheAge20130601/>{{efn|Officially, membership for Soviet students was optional, but it was seen as "virtually mandatory" and almost all students were members of one of the youth divisions of the Communist Party.<ref name="Shipler 2012 p. 387">{{cite book | last=Shipler | first=D.K. | title=The Rights of the People: How Our Search for Safety Invades Our Liberties | publisher=Vintage Books | series=Vintage Series | year=2012 | isbn=978-1-4000-7928-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SLXGcEGYTdMC&pg=PA387 | access-date=6 January 2016 | page=387}}</ref><ref name="Harms p. 56">{{cite book | last=Harms | first=J. | title=American Now Departed: How to Save a Life | year=2012 | publisher=Lulu.com | isbn=978-1-300-48885-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SgMJBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT56 | access-date=6 January 2016 | page=56}}</ref><ref name="Shishkov Conley 2012 p. 92">{{cite book | last1=Shishkov | first1=Y. | last2=Conley | first2=A. | title=If Guitars Could Talk | publisher=Yuriy Shishkov | year=2012 | isbn=978-0-615-58637-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c0MUaCS5ZfAC&pg=PT92 | access-date=6 January 2016 | page=92}}</ref><ref name="Sakwa 2012 p. 142">{{cite book | last=Sakwa | first=R. | title=Soviet Politics: In Perspective | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2012 | isbn=978-1-134-90996-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQSiM2vPO54C&pg=PA142 | language=mt | access-date=6 January 2016 | page=142}}</ref>}}
At the age of 16, Kaspersky entered a five-year program with [[Institute of Cryptography, Telecommunications and Computer Science|The Technical Faculty of the KGB Higher School]],<ref name=Wired20120723>{{cite magazine | last=Shachtman | first=Noah | title=Russia's Top Cyber Sleuth Foils US Spies, Helps Kremlin Pals | magazine=Wired | date=23 July 2012 | url=https://www.wired.com/2012/07/ff_kaspersky/ | access-date=12 November 2015 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20250619205936/https://www.wired.com/2012/07/ff-kaspersky/ | archive-date=19 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tadviser.ru/index.php/%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0:%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%95%D0%B2%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 | title=Badtitle }}</ref> which prepared intelligence officers for the Russian military and KGB.<ref name="six"/><ref name="four"/> He graduated in 1987<ref name=Wired20120723/> with a degree in [[mathematical engineering]] and computer technology.<ref name="seven"/><ref name="four"/> After graduating college, Kaspersky served the [[GRU (Soviet Union)|Soviet military intelligence service]]<ref name=TheAge20130601/> as a software engineer.<ref name=SalemPressBio/><ref name="five"/> He met his first wife [[Natalya Kaspersky]] at Severskoye, a KGB vacation resort, in 1987.<ref name=SalemPressBio/>
==Kaspersky Lab== {{Main|Kaspersky Lab}}
===Origins=== Kaspersky's interest in IT security began in 1989, when his PC was infected by the [[Cascade virus]],<ref name="one">{{cite news | title=Profile: Eugene Kaspersky | work=Forbes.com | url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/eugene-kaspersky/?list=billionaires | access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="two"/> while working for the [[Ministry of Defence (USSR)|Ministry of Defence]].<ref name="Schofield 2008">{{cite news | last=Schofield | first=Jack | title=The Russian defence against global cybercrime | newspaper=the Guardian | date=31 January 2008 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/jan/31/eugene.kaspersky | access-date=11 November 2015}}</ref> He studied how the virus worked<ref name=Wired20120723/> and developed a program to remove it.<ref name="one"/> Afterwards he continually found new viruses and developed software to remove them, as a hobby.<ref name=Wired20120723/><ref name="two"/> Early on Kaspersky's anti-virus software had just 40 virus definitions and was distributed mostly to friends.<ref name=SalemPressBio/>
In 1991, Kaspersky was granted an early release from his military service<ref name=TheAge20130601/> and left the defense ministry to take a job at the Information Technology Center of a private company KAMI, in order to work on his antivirus product full-time.<ref name=SalemPressBio/><ref name="five"/> There, he and his colleagues improved the software<ref name=SalemPressBio/> and released it as a product called Antiviral Toolkit Pro in 1992.<ref name="six"/><ref name="five"/> At first the software was purchased by about ten clients per month. It earned about $100 per month, mostly from companies in Ukraine and Russia.<ref name="one"/><ref name="four"/> Kaspersky's then-future wife Natalya Kaspersky became his coworker at KAMI.<ref name="five"/>
In 1994, [[Hamburg University]] in Germany gave Kaspersky's software first place in a competitive analysis of [[antivirus software]].<ref name="six"/><ref name="four"/><ref name="five"/> This led to more business for Kaspersky from European and American companies.<ref name="four"/><ref>{{cite web | website=Russia Beyond The Headlines | date=29 April 2010 | url=http://rbth.com/articles/2010/04/29/the_virus_warrior_a_start_up_tale.html |title=The virus warrior: a start-up tale| access-date=23 May 2016 | last1=Bachman | first1=Jessica }}</ref> Kaspersky Lab was founded three years later by Kaspersky, his wife and Kaspersky's friend Alexey De-Monderik.<ref name=TheAge20130601/>{{efn|Sources conflict and/or are ambiguous as to the exact number of engineers besides Kaspersky and his wife cofounded the company.<ref name=SalemPressBio/><ref name="PCL. 2015">{{cite news | last=Sambandaraksa|first=Don | publisher=Post Publishing | title=Kaspersky wants digital passports | website=Bangkok Post | date=3 September 2015 | url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/world-updates/198706/kaspersky-wants-digital-passports | access-date=13 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="Swartz 2008">{{cite web | last=Swartz | first=Jon | title=Russian Kaspersky Lab offers antivirus protection in U.S. | website=ABC News | date=25 November 2008 | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=6329227&page=1 | access-date=13 November 2015}}</ref>}} Natalya, who pushed Eugene to start the company, was the CEO, while Eugene was the head of research.<ref name=SalemPressBio/> The following year, the [[CIH virus]] (AKA the Chernobyl virus) created a boon for Kaspersky's anti-virus products, which Kaspersky said was the only software at the time that could cleanse the virus.<ref name=SalemPressBio/> According to ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'', "their software was advanced for the time."<ref name=Wired20120723/> For example, it was the first software to monitor viruses in an isolated quarantine.<ref name=Wired20120723/>
Kaspersky's company grew quickly in the late 1990s. From 1998 to 2000, its annual revenue grew 280 percent and by 2000 almost sixty percent of revenues were international.<ref name="Weissman 2015"/> By 2000, it had a staff of 65 people, starting from 13 in 1997.<ref name=SalemPressBio/> The antivirus product was renamed to Kaspersky Antivirus in 2000, after an American company started using the product's original name, which wasn't trademarked.<ref name="Schofield 2008"/><ref name="Weissman 2015">{{cite web | last=Weissman | first=Cale Guthrie | title=A look inside the insanely successful life of Russian mathematician and shrewd businessman Eugene Kaspersky | website=Business Insider | date=16 July 2015 | url=http://www.businessinsider.com/eugene-kaspersky-profile-2015-7 | access-date=12 November 2015}}</ref> In 2023, after switching to a subscription model, Kaspersky Anti-Virus became Kaspersky Standard and Kaspersky Internet Security was replaced by Kaspersky Plus.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-05 |title=Cybersecurity company Kaspersky launches new products to ensure digital protection, details here |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/cybersecurity-company-kaspersky-launches-new-products-to-ensure-digital-protection-details-here-2342799-2023-03-05 |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>
===Threat discoveries=== As the head of research,<ref name="six"/> Kaspersky authored papers on viruses and went to conferences to promote the software.<ref name=FT20221211/> He was often quoted in the technology press as an antivirus expert.<ref name=SalemPressBio/> He helped establish the company's Global Research and Expert Analysis Team (GReAT), which helps corporations and governments investigate IT security threats.<ref name=Wired20120723/> Initially he told his team not to discuss cyber-terrorism publicly, to avoid giving governments ideas on how to sabotage their political opponents. After the American film ''[[Live Free or Die Hard]]'' (AKA ''Die Hard 4.0'') (2007) was released, Kaspersky said the idea was now public.<ref name="Gibbs 2014">{{cite web | last=Gibbs | first=Samuel | title=Eugene Kaspersky: major cyberterrorist attack is only matter of time | website=the Guardian | date=1 May 2014 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/01/eugene-kaspersky-major-cyberterrorist-attack-uk | access-date=14 November 2015}}</ref> He hired the researcher that identified the [[Stuxnet]] worm, which is believed to be the first instance of state-sponsored cyberweapon.<ref name=Wired20120723/><ref name="ten">{{cite journal|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/11/26/the-fp-top-100-global-thinkers-2/|first=Eugene|last=Kaspersky|journal=Foreign Policy|date=December 2012|issue=197|title=100 Top Global Thinkers of 2012: For decoding the secrets of cyberwar; Computer security expert, Russia}}</ref> Afterwards, the company exposed the [[Flame virus]] at the request of the [[International Telecommunication Union]]. The virus was believed to have been used for cyber-espionage in Middle-Eastern countries.<ref name=Wired20120723/><ref name="two">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/technology/cyberweapon-warning-from-kaspersky-a-computer-security-expert.html?pagewanted=all|title=Expert Issues a Cyberwar Warning|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=3 June 2012|first1=Andrew E.|last1=Kramer|first2=Nicole|last2=Perlroth}}</ref><ref name="ten"/>
Kaspersky Lab developed a reputation for discovering cybersecurity threats.<ref name="France 24 2015">{{cite web | title=Europe - Would you trust Eugene Kaspersky, Russia's 'Cyber Security King'? | website=France 24 | date=6 October 2015 | url=http://www.france24.com/en/20151006-eugene-kaspersky-trust-russia-cyber-security-king-spy-espionage-kgb-allegations-banya-monac | access-date=13 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="economist">{{cite news | title=The Kaspersky equation | newspaper=The Economist | date=21 February 2015 | url=https://www.economist.com/news/business/21644154-russian-antivirus-firm-impresses-sceptics-again-kaspersky-equation | access-date=13 November 2015}}</ref> In 2015 Kaspersky and Kaspersky Lab discovered a group of hackers known as [[Carbanak]] that were stealing money from banks. They also exposed [[Equation Group]], which developed advanced [[spyware]] for monitoring computer use and was believed to be affiliated with the [[National Security Agency]] in the U.S.<ref name="economist"/> According to ''The Economist,'' it was these discoveries, Kaspersky's "relentless salesmanship" and the company's anti-virus product that made Kaspersky Lab uncommon as an internationally recognized Russian company.<ref name=SalemPressBio/><ref name="economist"/>
===CEO=== Kaspersky became CEO of Kaspersky Lab in 2007.<ref name="six"/> According to a 2008 article in ''USA Today,'' he traveled to 20 to 30 countries per year promoting Kaspersky Lab products.<ref>{{cite news|title=Russian cybercrime fighter sells security|first=Jon|last=Swartz|newspaper=USA Today|date=24 November 2008}}</ref> In early 2009, ''CRN'' said his personality contributed to the company's growth from "relative obscurity to now nipping at the heels of its larger, better-known rivals." At the time, Kaspersky Lab was the fourth largest endpoint security company. It introduced new products for the enterprise market and expanded its channel programs.<ref name="Hoffman 2009"/>
In 2011, Kaspersky made a decision against taking the company public, saying it would make decision-making slow and prevent long-term R&D investments. This led to a series of high-level departures from the company, including his ex-wife and co-founder.<ref name=FT20221211/><ref name="economist"/><ref name="Finkle 2014"/> Another series of departures occurred in 2014 due to disagreements over how to run the company.<ref name="Finkle 2014">{{cite web | last=Finkle | first=Jim | title=Kaspersky Lab executives depart amid business strategy dispute | website=Reuters | date=2 May 2014 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kaspersky-management-idUSBREA410RS20140502 | access-date=11 November 2015}}</ref>
Kaspersky himself is the co-author of several [[patent]]s, including one for a constraint-and-attribute-based security system for controlling software component interaction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://patents.justia.com/inventor/eugene-v-kaspersky |title=Patents by Inventor Eugene V. Kaspersky |publisher=justia.com |access-date=23 May 2016}}</ref>
As of 2015, Kaspersky Lab employed more than 2,800 people.<ref name="one"/> As of 2012, Kaspersky was working on developing software to protect critical infrastructure, like power plants, from [[cyberwarfare]].<ref name=FT20221211/>
In 2013, the company reported revenues of $667 million, which grew to $721 million in 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Finkle |first=Jim |title=Kaspersky Lab executives depart amid business strategy dispute |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kaspersky-management-idUSBREA410RS20140502/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002150426/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kaspersky-management-idUSBREA410RS20140502 |archive-date=2023-10-02 |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=U.S. |language=en-US}}</ref>
Also during this period, Kaspersky expanded its cybersecurity offerings. In 2012, it announced plans to develop a secure [[operating system]] to protect critical infrastructure systems from online attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zetter |first=Kim |title=Russian Anti-Virus Firm Plans Secure Operating System to Combat Stuxnet |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/10/kaspersky-operating-system/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> By 2023, the company launched SD-WAN and Kaspersky Container Security, contributing to a 44% growth in non-endpoint solutions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Network |first=NDM News |date=2024-06-21 |title=Kaspersky Releases Financial Results, Achieves 11% Business Growth in 2023 |url=https://digitalterminal.in/trending/kaspersky-releases-financial-results-achieves-11-business-growth-in-2023 |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=DIGITAL TERMINAL |language=en}}</ref>
The company faced geopolitical challenges, notably in 2017, when the U.S. government banned its software over alleged ties to the Russian government, which Kaspersky denied. In June 2023, it reported a cyberattack targeting its senior staff’s [[IPhone|iPhones]], which had been ongoing since 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-02 |title=Kaspersky traces spyware attack on staff iOS devices back to 2019 |url=https://www.itpro.com/security/malware/kaspersky-traces-spyware-attack-on-staff-ios-devices-back-to-2019 |access-date=2025-09-03 |website=IT Pro |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Russia says US hacked thousands of Apple phones in spy plot |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/russias-fsb-says-us-nsa-penetrated-thousands-apple-phones-spy-plot-2023-06-01/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241212001117/https://www.reuters.com/technology/russias-fsb-says-us-nsa-penetrated-thousands-apple-phones-spy-plot-2023-06-01/ |archive-date=2024-12-12 |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=Reuters |language=en-US}}</ref> In June 2024, following further U.S. sanctions, Kaspersky withdrew from the U.S. market, later replacing its software on American users' systems with UltraAV.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kaspersky deletes itself, installs UltraAV antivirus without warning |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/kaspersky-deletes-itself-installs-ultraav-antivirus-without-warning/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=BleepingComputer |language=en-us}}</ref>
Despite these challenges, Kaspersky Lab maintains presence in Europe, Asia, Middle East and Latin America and expanded product range.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Humarang |first=James |date=2025-01-01 |title=Kaspersky products achieve top performance across all quarters in 2024 - Tech and Lifestyle Journal |url=https://techandlifestylejournal.com/kaspersky-products-top-performance-2024/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Jay |title=Kaspersky Opens New 'Transparency Centers' Amid Concerns Over Possible Russian Ties {{!}} CRN |url=https://www.crn.com/news/security/kaspersky-opens-new-transparency-centers-amid-concerns-over-possible-russian-ties |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=www.crn.com}}</ref>
=== Fights against patent claims from non-practicing entities === Kaspersky Lab has defended itself against allegedly frivolous patent claims more aggressively than most IT companies. In 2012, it was the only one of 35 firms named in a suit by [[patent troll]] Information Protection and Authentication (IPAC) to take the case to court, rather than pay a fee. The case was ruled in Kaspersky's favor.<ref>{{cite web |date=7 August 2012 |title=Kaspersky Lab the only one of 35 companies to defeat IPAT patent troll |url=http://ipfrontline.com/2012/08/kaspersky-lab-the-only-one-of-35-companies-to-defeat-ipat-patent-troll/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330181123/http://ipfrontline.com/2012/08/kaspersky-lab-the-only-one-of-35-companies-to-defeat-ipat-patent-troll/ |archive-date=30 March 2016 |access-date=23 May 2016 |website=ipfrontline.com}}</ref> Also in 2012, another company, [[Lodsys]], sued Kaspersky and 54 other companies for patent infringement, and that case also resulted in the claimant dropping the case against Kaspersky.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ribeiro |first=John |date=12 October 2013 |title=Patent troll Lodsys backs down from Kaspersky dispute |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2051940/patent-firm-lodsys-backs-out-of-dispute-with-kaspersky-lab.html |access-date=23 May 2016 |website=PCWorld.com}}</ref>
In 2016, Kaspersky Lab faced a claim from the American company Wetro Lan, which alleged that the company had infringed [[US patent]] No. 6795918B1. This patent, obtained in 2000, described “service level computer security” technology related to data packet filtering. After brief negotiations, the parties agreed on a payment of $5,000 to Kaspersky Lab and the waiver of any future claims on their part.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ice-cold Kaspersky shows the industry how to handle patent trolls |url=https://www.theregister.com/2017/08/31/kaspersky_handles_patent_trolls/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250517055305/https://www.theregister.com/2017/08/31/kaspersky_handles_patent_trolls/ |archive-date=2025-05-17 |access-date=2025-10-01 |language=en}}</ref>
In 2018, a [[Texas]] district court dismissed Uniloc's lawsuit against Kaspersky Lab for infringement of US patent 5490216.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brachmann |first=Steve |date=2017-11-08 |title=Federal Circuit affirms PTAB invalidation of Uniloc patent which wasn't invalid in 65 district court cases |url=https://ipwatchdog.com/2017/11/08/federal-circuit-affirms-ptab-invalidation-uniloc-patent/id=89902/ |access-date=2025-10-01 |website=IPWatchdog.com {{!}} Patents & Intellectual Property Law |language=en}}</ref>
According to an article in [[TechWorld]], the company's aversion to settling these claims is most likely because Eugene "just hates" patent trolls. In his blog he called them "parasites" and "IT racketeers". Kaspersky aims not only to settle lawsuits, but to invalidate patents being misused by NPEs.<ref name="Dunn 2013">{{cite web |last=Dunn |first=John E |date=8 October 2013 |title=Eugene Kaspersky, patent troll killer |url=http://www.techworld.com/blog/war-on-error/eugene-kaspersky-patent-troll-killer-3537966/ |access-date=27 April 2016 |website=Techworld}}</ref>
==Views== Kaspersky is influential among politicians and security experts.<ref name=FT20221211/> He has warned about the possibility of cyberwarfare that targets critical infrastructure. He speaks at conferences advocating for an international cyberwarfare treaty,<ref name=FT20221211/><ref name="six"/> that would ban government-sponsored cyberattacks.<ref name="two"/>
After the Stuxnet attack, Kaspersky proposed that the Internet needed more regulation and policing. One idea was to have some parts of the Internet anonymous, while more secure areas require user identification. He argued that anonymity mostly benefited cybercriminals and hackers.<ref name="PCL. 2015"/> For example, accessing a nuclear power plant network could require a verified identity through a digital passport.<ref name=Wired20120723/><ref name="ten"/>
Kaspersky said anonymity on the Internet could be protected by using a proxy, whereby a responsible international body maintains a record of which online identities correspond to which real-world ones. For example, a person's identity would be revealed in cases of malicious activity.<ref name=TheAge20130601/> Some security experts believe that a centralized database of the real-world identities of Internet users would be "a privacy disaster and a highly attractive target for thieves."<ref name=TheAge20130601/> ''[[The Age]]'' said it "sounds a little too close for comfort to a Big Brother scenario"<ref name=TheAge20130601/> and ''Wired'' said Kaspersky's views were highly aligned with the Russian government's agenda.<ref name=Wired20120723/><ref name="MacFarquhar 2016"/> In 2012, Kaspersky ranked 40th in the [[Foreign Policy]] magazine's Top 100 Global Thinkers yearly rating.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/author/eugene-kaspersky/|title=Eugene Kaspersky|publisher=foreignpolicy.com|lang=en|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref>
Many organizations have been considering reducing privacy to improve security as a result of Kaspersky's arguments.<ref name=Wired20120723/> In a more recent ''[[Slashdot]]'' interview Kaspersky said the Internet should be divided into three zones: a red zone for voting, online banking, and other "critical transactions" that would require an Internet ID; a grey zone that may require only verification of age to access the site, but not identity; and a green zone for blogs, news, and "everything related to your freedom of speech." He proposes "special proxies" for red zone websites that allow disclosure of the user's identity only in the case of suspected malfeasance.<ref name="Maverick 2012">{{cite web | last=Maverick | first=Magic | title=Interviews: Eugene Kaspersky Answers Your Questions | website=Slashdot | date=13 December 2012 | url=http://interviews.slashdot.org/story/12/12/13/182206/interviews-eugene-kaspersky-answers-your-questions | access-date=6 January 2016}}</ref>
==Controversies== ===Affiliations with Russian intelligence=== Kaspersky's alleged prior work as a [[GRU (Russian Federation)|GRU]] [[cryptologist]] and GRU officer in the [[Soviet army]] and his education at a KGB-sponsored technical college has led to controversy about whether he uses his position to advance Russian government interests and intelligence efforts.<ref name=FT20221211/><ref name="ten"/><ref name="Zetter 2014 p. 293">{{cite book | last=Zetter | first=K. | title=Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon | publisher=Crown/Archetype | year=2014 | isbn=978-0-7704-3618-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1l2YAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT293 | access-date=11 November 2015 | page=293}}</ref>
''Wired'' said Kaspersky's critics accuse him of using the company to spy on users for Russian intelligence. Russian telecommunications companies for example are required by federal law in Russia to cooperate with the government's military and spy operations if asked. Kaspersky said his company has never been asked to tamper with its software for espionage<ref name=Wired20120723/> and called the accusations "cold war paranoia".<ref name="fifteen">{{cite news | last=Sonne | first=Paul | title=Data-Security Expert Kaspersky: There Is No More Privacy | newspaper=The Wall Street Journal | date=3 September 2013 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324432404579053091175949708 | access-date=13 November 2015}}</ref> According to ''Wired,'' Kaspersky staffers argue "not unconvincingly" that spying on users would hurt its business and its relationship with the Russian [[Federal Security Service|FSB]], the KGB's successor, is limited.<ref name=Wired20120723/> According to [[Gartner]], "There's no evidence that they have any back doors in their software or any ties to the Russian mafia or state... but there is still a concern that you can't operate in Russia without being controlled by the ruling party."<ref name="two"/> ''Computing'' mocked some of the more extreme accusations of espionage, but said it would be unlikely for a Russian business to grow to the size of Kaspersky Lab without relationships within the Russian government.<ref name="Burton 2015">{{cite news | last=Burton | first=Graeme | title=H4cked off: Is Eugene Kaspersky 'in bed' (or the sauna) with the Russian government? Derr, of course he is | newspaper=Computing | date=20 March 2015 | url=http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/feature/2400777/is-eugene-kaspersky-in-bed-or-the-sauna-with-the-russian-government-derr-of-course-he-is | access-date=13 November 2015 | archive-date=17 May 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517134432/http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/feature/2400777/is-eugene-kaspersky-in-bed-or-the-sauna-with-the-russian-government-derr-of-course-he-is | url-status=dead }}</ref> NPR journalists also said it was unlikely Kaspersky was using its software for espionage, because it would be risky for the company's business, but said Kaspersky showed an unusual disinterest in Russia-based cybercrime.<ref name="bloombergie">{{cite news| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/cybersecurity-kaspersky-has-close-ties-to-russian-spies | work=Bloomberg | first=Carol | last=Matlack | title=The Company Securing Your Internet Has Close Ties to Russian Spies | date=19 March 2015 |access-date=1 December 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250619200639/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/cybersecurity-kaspersky-has-close-ties-to-russian-spies |archive-date=19 June 2025}}</ref>
In August 2015, [[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] reported that Kaspersky Lab changed course in 2012.<ref name="bloombergie"/> According to the publication, "high-level managers have left or been fired, their jobs often filled by people with closer ties to Russia's military or intelligence services.<ref name="bloombergie"/> Some of these people actively aid criminal investigations by the FSB using data from some of the 400 million customers".<ref name="Matlack 2015">{{cite web | last=Matlack | first=Carol | title=The Company Securing Your Internet Has Close Ties to Russian Spies | website=Bloomberg.com | date=19 March 2015 | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/cybersecurity-kaspersky-has-close-ties-to-russian-spies | access-date=26 April 2016}}</ref> Bloomberg<ref name="Gothard 2015">{{cite news | last=Gothard | first=Peter | title=Eugene Kaspersky intensifies US vs Russia flame war, accusing Bloomberg of creating 'conspiracy theories' about his company | newspaper=Computing News | url=http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2400725/eugene-kaspersky-intensifies-us-vs-russia-flame-war-accusing-bloomberg-of-creating-conspiracy-theories-about-his-company | access-date=11 November 2015 | date=20 March 2015 | archive-date=23 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923210244/http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2400725/eugene-kaspersky-intensifies-us-vs-russia-flame-war-accusing-bloomberg-of-creating-conspiracy-theories-about-his-company | url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''[[The New York Times]]''<ref name="two"/> also said Kaspersky was less aggressive about identifying cyberattacks originating from Russia than from other countries, allegations Kaspersky refutes.<ref name="bloombergie"/> For example, he allegedly ignored or downplayed a series of denial-of-service attacks in December 2011 that were made to disrupt online discussion criticizing Russian politicians.<ref name=Wired20120723/><ref name="MacFarquhar 2016"/> Kaspersky also allegedly ignored a Russian-based spyware called [[Fancy Bear|Sofacy]], which is believed to have been used by Russia against NATO and Eastern Europe.<ref name="bloombergie"/> On the other hand, Kaspersky also published information on the Russia-based [[Crouching Yeti]] cyberattacks two days before Bloomberg accused him of ignoring Russia-based cyberattacks.<ref name="Mlot 2015"/> At the time, the company had published eleven reports on malicious Russian programs.<ref name="Flintoff 2015"/><ref name="IV 2015"/> Competitor [[FireEye]] said it is awkward even in the U.S. to investigate cybercrimes performed by one's own government.<ref name="Mlot 2015"/>
A March 2015 article in Bloomberg said an increasing number of executive staff at Kaspersky Lab previously worked for Russian military and intelligence agencies.<ref name="Love 2015">{{cite web | last=Love | first=Dylan | title=Eugene Kaspersky: 'Our business is saving the world from computer villains' | website=The Daily Dot | date=20 May 2015 | url=http://www.dailydot.com/politics/eugene-kaspersky-interview/ | access-date=13 November 2015}}</ref> According to ''News & Observer'', Kaspersky "published a mammoth response, tearing down Bloomberg's accusations and accusing them of throwing facts out the window for the sake of a juicy anti-Russian narrative."<ref name="IV 2015">{{cite web | last=IV | first=Jack Smith | title=Bloomberg Vs. Kaspersky: Cybersecurity Tycoon Laughs At KGB Accusations | website=Observer | date=20 March 2015 | url=http://observer.com/2015/03/bloomberg-vs-kaspersky-cybersecurity-tycoon-laughs-at-kgb-accusations/ | access-date=13 November 2015}}</ref> Competitor FireEye said many U.S. IT companies also have executives that formerly worked for government military and intelligence agencies.<ref name="Mlot 2015">{{cite web | last=Mlot | first=Stephanie | title=Kaspersky, Bloomberg Spar Over KGB Allegations | newspaper=PC Magazine | date=23 March 2015 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2478613,00.asp | access-date=13 November 2015}}</ref> NPR reported that Kaspersky has been doing an increasing amount of business with Russian cybersecurity agencies to catch cybercriminals.<ref name="Flintoff 2015">{{cite web | last=Flintoff | first=Corey | title=Kaspersky Lab: Based In Russia, Doing Cybersecurity In The West | website=NPR.org | date=10 August 2015 | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/08/10/431247980/kaspersky-lab-a-cybersecurity-leader-with-ties-to-russian-govt | access-date=13 November 2015}}</ref> Kaspersky confirmed that Russian agencies are among its government customers.<ref name="economist"/><ref name="fifteen"/>
In May 2017, the allegations resurfaced when US [[National Security Agency]] (NSA) director [[Michael S. Rogers|Mike Rogers]] told a [[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence|US Senate Intelligence committee]] that the NSA was reviewing the US government's use of Kaspersky software for fear it would allow Russian intelligence services to conduct spy operations or launch cyber attacks against American digital infrastructure.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/kaspersky-lab-founder-denies-security-products-being-used-by-russia-for-spying-1.57410/|title=Kaspersky Lab founder denies security products being used by Russia for spying {{!}} The National|access-date=17 May 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'' reported that the [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]] had issued a secret report in February on possible connections between Kaspersky Lab and Russian intelligence, and that the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] was currently investigating the matter.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/05/11/technology/11reuters-usa-kaspersky.html|title=U.S. Intelligence Chiefs Say Reviewing Use of Kaspersky Software|agency=Reuters|date=11 May 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=17 May 2017|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250619201308/https://web.archive.org/web/20170512010617/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/05/11/technology/11reuters-usa-kaspersky.html|archive-date=19 June 2025}}</ref> According to [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] (DIA) director [[Vincent Stewart]], his agency is "tracking Kaspersky and their software."<ref name="reuters.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-kaspersky-idUSKBN1872M6|title=U.S. intelligence chiefs say reviewing use of Kaspersky software|date=11 May 2017|work=Reuters|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> In a press release, Eugene Kaspersky denied that his software is currently, or could be, used for such purposes, stating that "As a private company, Kaspersky Lab has no ties to any government, and the company has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyber-espionage efforts."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/3009836/eugene-kaspersky-were-not-russian-secret-service-spies|title=Eugene Kaspersky: We're not Russian secret-service spies|date=10 May 2017|website=V3}}</ref> He also stated that the US does not want to use his company's software for political reasons,<ref name="reuters.com"/> and called the allegations "unfounded conspiracy theories".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cyberscoop.com/u-s-intel-officials-slam-kaspersky-while-ceo-calls-fears-of-russian-influence-unfounded-conspiracy-theories/|title=U.S. intel officials slam Kaspersky while CEO calls fears of Russian influence 'unfounded conspiracy theories' - Cyberscoop|date=11 May 2017|work=Cyberscoop|access-date=17 May 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>
Alleging connections to Russian intelligence, the U.S. [[Department of Homeland Security]] in 2017 banned Kaspersky's main antivirus product from U.S. federal networks. In 2024 the U.S. Commerce Department announced that "Kaspersky will generally no longer be able to, among other activities, sell its software within the United States or provide updates to software already in use."<ref name="BBC06212024">{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Graeme |title=US bans Kaspersky software for alleged Russian links |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqq7663wd2o |access-date=21 June 2024 |publisher=BBC |date=21 June 2024}}</ref>
Kaspersky is one of many Russian oligarchs named in the [[Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act]], CAATSA, signed into law by President [[Donald Trump]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Report to Congress Pursuant to Section 241 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 Regarding Senior Foreign Political Figures and Oligarchs in the Russian Federation and Russian Parastatal Entities|url=https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rJRW6xrdtLJE/v0|date=29 January 2018|format=PDF}}</ref>
===Anti-virus spoofing=== In August 2015, two former Kaspersky employees alleged that the company introduced modified files into the [[VirusTotal]] community anti-virus database to trick its rivals' programs into triggering false positives.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carman |first=Ashley |date=2015-08-17 |title=Kaspersky Lab denies allegations it induced false positive AV detections |url=https://www.scworld.com/news/kaspersky-lab-denies-allegations-it-induced-false-positive-av-detections |access-date=2025-09-03 |website=SC Media |language=en}}</ref> The result of the false positives was that important uninfected files would be disabled or deleted. The allegations also claimed that Kaspersky himself had ordered some of the actions, specifically targeting competitors, including Chinese companies he felt were copying his software. Emails dated 2009, two years after Kaspersky became CEO, were allegedly leaked to [[Reuters]], one of which allegedly had Kaspersky threatening to go after competitors by "rubbing them out in the outhouse", using a phrase popularized by [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref name = reuters>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kaspersky-rivals-idUSKCN0QJ1CR20150814 |title=Exclusive: Russian antivirus firm faked malware to harm rivals - Ex-employees |publisher=reuters.com |date=14 August 2015 |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="Menn 2015">{{cite web | last=Menn | first=Joseph | title=Exclusive: Russia's Kaspersky threatened to 'rub out' rival, email shows | website=Reuters | date=28 August 2015 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kaspersky-rivals-idUSKCN0QX2GO20150828 | access-date=11 November 2015}}</ref> The company denied the allegations.<ref name = "reuters"/>
== ''Forbes'' ranking == Kaspersky was ranked #1,567 on ''[[Forbes]]''{{'}} "[[The World's Billionaires|Billionaires List]] 2017" with a net worth of US$1.3 billion (as of March 2017).<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/eugene-kaspersky/?list=billionaires|title=Eugene Kaspersky|work=Forbes|access-date=17 May 2017|language=en}}</ref> He first made the list in 2015 when his net worth reached US$1 billion.<ref name=":0" />
==Awards== * [[Friendship Award (China)|National Friendship Award of China]]
* CEO of the Year, SC Magazine Europe - 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.itweb.co.za/content/Pero3qZleXa7Qb6m|title=Еugene Kaspersky wins prestigious CEO of the Year award|date=6 May 2010 |publisher=www.itweb.co.za|lang=en|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref>
* Lifetime Achievement Award 2010, [[Virus Bulletin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.virusbulletin.com/uploads/pdf/magazine/2010/201011.pdf|title=uploads/pdf/magazine/2010/201011.pdf|publisher=www.virusbulletin.com|lang=en|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref>
* Strategic Brand Leadership Award, World Brand Congress<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.prlog.org/11099712-eugene-kaspersky-honored-with-strategic-brand-leadership-award-by-world-brand-congress.html|title=Eugene Kaspersky honored with Strategic Brand Leadership Award by World Brand Congress|publisher=www.prlog.org/|lang=en|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref>
* Most Powerful Security Executive, SYS-CON Media<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/379/64918.html|title=Kaspersky, most powerful voice in IT security - SYS-CON Media|publisher=www.bizcommunity.com|lang=en|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref>
* Businessman of the Year, American Chamber of Commerce in Russia — 2011<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hubspeakers.kz/bio/kaspersky?ysclid=lo1s7wn7ap669733958|title=Евгений Касперский Генеральный директор «Лаборатории Касперского»|publisher=hubspeakers.kz|lang=ru|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref>
* Outstanding Contribution to Business Award, CEO Middle<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/eugene-kaspersky-won-%E2%80%98outstanding-contribution-business%E2%80%99-award-2011-ceo-middle-east-awar|title=Eugene Kaspersky won the 'Outstanding Contribution to Business' award at the 2011 CEO Middle East Awards|publisher=www.albawaba.com|lang=en|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref>
* Technology Hero of the Year, V3 — 2012<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.techpowerup.com/176526/eugene-kaspersky-wins-v3s-technology-hero-of-2012-award|title=Eugene Kaspersky Wins V3's Technology Hero of 2012 Award|date=3 December 2012 |publisher=www.techpowerup.com|lang=en|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref>
* Top-100 Global Thinker, Foreign Policy Magazine — 2012<ref>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/author/eugene-kaspersky/|title=Eugene Kaspersky Wins V3's Technology Hero of 2012 Award|publisher=foreignpolicy.com|lang=en|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref>
* Top-100 IT executives, CRN.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/240142211/the-top-100-executives-of-2012.htm|title=The Top 100 Executives Of 2012|publisher=www.crn.com|lang=en|accessdate=2023-10-24}}</ref> * Global High-Tech Award, [[Armenia]] - 2015<ref>[https://globalitaward.am/en/laureates/eugene-kaspersky Laureates - Global High-Tech Award]</ref>
==Personal life== Kaspersky lives in Moscow, Russia with his wife and five children.<ref name="one"/><ref name="The Sunday Times 2015">{{cite web | title=A Life in the Day of Eugene Kaspersky, Russian cybersecurity multimillionaire | website=The Sunday Times | date=16 August 2015 | url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/article1590460.ece | access-date=14 November 2015 | archive-date=11 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411065558/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/article1590460.ece | url-status=dead }}</ref> He and his first wife were divorced in 1998.<ref name=Wired20120723/> On 21 April 2011, his son, Ivan, then 20, was kidnapped for a $4.4 million ransom.{{efn|Sources conflict on how much ransom was asked for.<ref name=TheAge20130601/>}} Kaspersky worked with a friend at the FSB and Russian police to trace the ransomer's phone call. They set up a trap for the ransomers, where they rescued his son and arrested many of the kidnappers.<ref name=TheAge20130601/><ref name="four"/><ref name="two"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13159668|title=Russian software tycoon Kaspersky's son 'missing'|work=[[BBC News]]|publisher=[[Interfax]]|date=21 April 2011|access-date=22 April 2011}}</ref> The incident had an influence on Kaspersky's sense of personal security. He now travels with a bodyguard and security detail.<ref name=FT20221211/>
Kaspersky is one of the richest people in Russia.<ref name=Wired20120723/> His net worth is about $1 billion.<ref name="six"/> According to ''Wired,'' he has "cultivated the image of a wild man with cash to burn."<ref name=Wired20120723/> He has an interest in racing and drives his sports cars on race tracks as a hobby.<ref>{{cite news|title=Computing a winning formula|last=Spurgeon|first=Brad|newspaper=International New York Times|date=7 November 2014}}</ref> He sponsors various "quirky or scientific projects"<ref name="MacFarquhar 2016"/> such as the [[Ferrari]] [[Formula One]] racing team<ref name=Wired20120723/><ref name="Gross 2011">{{cite magazine | last=Gross | first=Michael | title=A Declaration of Cyber-War | magazine=Vanity Fair | date=2 March 2011 | url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2011/03/stuxnet-201104 | access-date=14 November 2015}}</ref> or archaeological excavations in [[Akrotiri (prehistoric city)]].<ref name="akrotiri">{{Cite web|url=https://www.naftemporiki.gr/story/1404908/latest-finds-from-kaspersky-funded-excavations-at-santorinis-akrotiri-settlement-displayed|title=Latest finds from Kaspersky-funded excavations at Santorini's Akrotiri settlement displayed|date=22 October 2018}}</ref> Kaspersky owns a [[BMW M3]].<ref name="Weissman 2015"/> Kaspersky describes himself as an "adrenaline junkie". He has gone hiking on volcanoes in Russia and reserved a trip to space on the [[Virgin Galactic]].<ref name=FT20221211/>
Kaspersky is known for shunning formal attire, typically dressing in jeans and a shirt.<ref name="Hoffman 2009">{{cite web | last=Hoffman | first=Stefanie | title=He's Got Kasperskonality | website=CRN | date=20 February 2009 | url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/214502144/hes-got-kasperskonality.htm | access-date=14 November 2015}}</ref> He supports university projects and competitions in the IT security field.<ref name="PCL. 2015"/>
Kaspersky is a passionate traveller and even funded an investment [[Startup accelerator|accelerator]] for projects developing sustainable tourism.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lomas |first=Natasha |date=2020-05-13 |title=Why is Eugene Kaspersky funding a travel accelerator during COVID-19? |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/13/why-is-eugene-kaspersky-funding-a-travel-accelerator-during-covid-19/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref> He consistently shares travel photos and notes in his personal blog, and maintains the list "Top-100 must-see places in the world."<ref name=FT20221211/><ref name="MacFarquhar 2016" /><ref name="Weissman 2015" />
Kaspersky supported a women's expedition to the [[South Pole]] ([[Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition]]) led by [[Felicity Aston]] in 2009<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition - ExploraPoles - International Polar Foundation's adventure website |url=http://www.explorapoles.org/expeditions/detail/kaspersky_commonwealth_antarctic_expedition |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=www.explorapoles.org}}</ref> and the first solo crossing of [[Antarctica]] by a woman (Kaspersky ONE Transantarctic Expedition) in 2011, also completed by Felicity Aston.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shephard |first=Rachel |date=2012-02-16 |title=2011-12 Expedition Wrap-up |url=https://antarctic-logistics.com/2012/02/16/2011-12-expedition-wrap-up/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions |language=en-US}}</ref>
Eugene's company was the official cybersecurity partner for the [[FIDE World Championship]] series of chess tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-10-29 |title=Vladimir Kramnik Nominated as Wild Card Choice to the FIDE World Chess Candidates Tournament |url=https://www.business.worldchess.com/news/2017/10/29/vladimir-kramnik-nominated-as-wild-card-choice-to-the-fide-world-chess-candidates-tournament |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=World Chess |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikiquote}} * {{Officialsite|https://eugene.kaspersky.com/}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160411025446/http://newsroom.kaspersky.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/fr/Downloads/PDFs/Biography_Eugene_Kaspersky.pdf Official biography] * {{cite news | url=http://interviews.slashdot.org/story/12/12/13/182206/interviews-eugene-kaspersky-answers-your-questions | title=Interviews: Eugene Kaspersky Answers Your Questions | publisher=Slashdot | date=13 December 2012}}
{{Good article}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaspersky, Eugene}} [[Category:1965 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Russian computer programmers]] [[Category:Russian technology writers]] [[Category:People from Novorossiysk]] [[Category:Moscow State University alumni]] [[Category:Russian billionaires]] [[Category:Russian scientists]] [[Category:Russian technology company founders]] [[Category:Computer security specialists]]