Cyber security provider Kaspersky Lab addressed media claims about Israeli intelligence hacking into the security company's network and relaying obtained intel to US officials.
The company representatives told Sputnik that "Kaspersky Lab was not involved in and does not possess any knowledge of the situation in question," referring to allegations made by several Western media outlets regarding Israeli security services tipping off their US colleagues about Russian hackers employing Kaspersky products for their nefarious alleged activities.
"Kaspersky Lab has never helped, nor will it help any government in the world in its cyberespionage efforts, and contrary to erroneous reports, Kaspersky Lab software does not contain any undeclared capabilities such as backdoors, as that would be illegal and unethical," the company said.
Kaspersky Lab representatives also declared that as the integrity of its products is "fundamental" to their business, the company "patches any vulnerabilities it identifies or that are reported to the company", and is willing to "work alongside US authorities to address any concerns they may have about its products as well as its systems."
"It is also important to note, Kaspersky Lab detects all kinds of threats, including nation-state sponsored malware, regardless of the origin or purpose. The company tracks more than 100 advanced persistent threat actors and operations, and for 20 years, Kaspersky Lab has been focused on protecting people and organizations from these cyber threats — its headquarters’ location doesn’t change that mission," the company explained.
Earlier, several Western media outlets including the New York Times announced that Israeli intelligence spied on "Russian government hackers" who allegedly employed Kaspersky Lab software as an improvised search tool, and that the ban on the use of Kaspersky Lab products by the US government was implemented after Washington got tipped off about this development by Israelis.
Meanwhile, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has announced that it had found no proof that Kaspersky Lab software was exploited by Russian hackers.
"There are currently no plans to issue a warning against the use of Kaspersky products as the BSI has no evidence of the company’s misconduct or weaknesses in its software," the agency said.
