“Kaspersky Lab” Accidentally Downloaded the Secret Documents of the NSA?
By Prempal Singh
The classified materials belonging to the US National Security Agency (NSA) got to the specialists of Kaspersky Lab accidentally, the head of the company Evgeny Kaspersky said to the Associated Press.
Kaspersky claims that the files were in the company’s specialists during the collection of information about the hacking group Equation Group, which allegedly cooperated with the NSA. According to the businessman, after learning about the unexpected finding, he demanded to immediately delete this data. About that, whether employees of “Laboratory” contacted representatives of NSA, Kaspersky did not inform.
Spy scandal around the largest Russian manufacturer of antivirus software flared up in early autumn. Then the publication of The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published information that Russian cybercriminals managed to seize NSA data with the help of the antivirus released by the “Laboratory”. In 2015, hackers allegedly by order of Russian authorities hacked the personal computer contractor NSA, equipped with software Kaspersky.
The statement of the founder of the “Laboratory” about accidental downloading indirectly indicates that the hacked gang was recruited by the US special services, who were hacked by the contractor.
After the exposure of Kaspersky in the Western media, American government institutions boycotting anti-virus products developed by the Laboratory.
In the near future, Yevgeny Kaspersky will have to testify in the US Congress and prove the company’s non-involvement in the spy attacks allegedly ordered by the Russian government.