Kaspersky wants to give US access to source code to allay espionage concerns

Eugene Kaspersky is willing to give US authorities access to the source code of its security products in order to allay concerns that the company could use the software for espionage for the Russian government.

The chief executive of security company Kaspersky Lab would also like to move parts of the research department to the US if that would help restore trust and he is also willing to testify at hearings. “I’m doing everything I can to prove we’re not behaving maliciously,” he told the Associated Press.

Kaspersky is making the statements after growing concerns from US authorities about the Russian security company’s ties to the Russian government. The NSA is investigating the company and the FBI has visited dozens of Kaspersky employees in recent weeks. In addition, there is a proposal from the US Congress that bans the use of Kaspersky software by the Pentagon.

If the proposal is passed, Moscow will take countermeasures, Russia said last week, according to Bloomberg. Kaspersky has always denied any involvement by the Russian government in his business. In part, the rumors stem from Eugene Kaspersky’s past: he attended a KGB-sponsored school and worked for the Russian Defense Ministry.