Kaspersky has pioneered digital trust by launching the Global Transparency Initiative (GTI), becoming the first cybersecurity company to open its source code for external review.
Through its Transparency Centers, customers, partners, and regulators can independently review threat detection rules, software updates, and source code, says a press release.
The new Seoul Transparency Center, the fourth in the APAC region, offers three levels of security review: a general overview (Blue piste), targeted source code analysis (Red piste), and a comprehensive review (Black piste).
Visitors can also access secure software development documentation, including threat analysis and security testing processes.
Genie Sugene Gan, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Asia-Pacific-Japan and META regions for Kaspersky, commented: "By opening our new Seoul Center, we believe that, by sharing our practices with the broader community, we can foster greater trust in ICT solutions, while also contributing to the collective effort to combat global cyberthreats."
Kaspersky's GTI also includes data relocation to Switzerland, independent third-party reviews, a Cyber Capacity Building Program, increased bug bounty rewards, and regular Transparency Reports on government and user data requests.
Kaspersky publicly shares its approach to responding to requests from government and law enforcement agencies in two categories - user data and technical expertise.
The company's latest "Law Enforcement and Government Requests" report, covering the first half of 2024, reveals it received a total of 61 requests from nine countries during the reporting period, with all requests asking for technical expertise. This constitutes a 10.3 percent decrease in the number of requests compared to the same period in 2023. Along with the data on law enforcement and government requests, the report on user requests for provision or removal of stored information has been published.
The measures introduced as part of the GTI constitute a comprehensive framework that can help external parties assess the security and trustworthiness of our cybersecurity products. Additionally, these measures constitute an industry best practice increasing resilience against digital risks. To learn more about the GTI or request access to the Transparency Center, please visit the website.