US Government Crackdown Threatens Kaspersky's American Dream (reuters.com)

Eugene Kaspersky, the CEO of the Russian cybersecurity software firm that bears his name, had a big American dream. From a report: He wanted his company to go beyond selling anti-virus software to consumers and small businesses and become a major vendor to the U.S. government -- one of the world's biggest buyers of cybersecurity tools. Kaspersky set up a U.S. subsidiary, KGSS, in Arlington, Virginia that would be focused on winning that business. He sponsored flashy conferences with high-profile speakers --including Michael Flynn, who was briefly President Donald Trump's national security adviser -- sought to join U.S. trade groups and even underwrote programming on National Public Radio. All of this was done to burnish Kaspersky's image and help it become an accepted vendor for the U.S. government despite its Russian roots, according to people familiar with the strategy. But Eugene Kaspersky was never able to overcome lingering suspicions among U.S. intelligence officials that he and his company were, or could become, pawns of Russia's spy agencies. Kaspersky "has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyberespionage efforts," the company said. Kaspersky's American ambitions were further eroded by the sharp deterioration in U.S.-Russia relations following Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and later when U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia had hacked the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Comments

Business climate

[Empiric]

But Eugene Kaspersky was never able to overcome lingering suspicions among U.S. intelligence officials that he and his company were, or could become, pawns of Russia's spy agencies.

By current political standards, if Kaspersky Antivirus detects NSA malware, that's the direct meddling hand of Putin.

Good luck.

Re: Business climate

[dunkelfalke]

Are you now seriously using a movie as your argument?
This is how propaganda works.

US Intelligence Agencies concluded nothing

[tinkerton]

What Scott Ritter claims/shows is that first, an National Intelligence Assessment is a lot more modest than a National Intelligence Estimate, and that what was published as a National Intelligence Assessment does not qualify as such.
It's a fraud - by selected people from the intelligence community - to push conclusions that the Intelligence Agencies would not be willing to support. Ritter also discusses a lot of other irregularities that all point in the same direction: the conclusion to blame Russia for everything was devised upfront, the rest was a matter of building a case. Just like with Iraq.

http://www.theamericanconserva...

Re:Kaspersky

[Highdude702]

So, you're saying that Russia is exactly like the United States? Because in almost ANY company in the USA you can find ex military personell(which is what a lot of people who claim "employee's with a history of Kremlin involvement" mean) Does that mean that nobody around the world should hire anybody from the states?

Denying Crimea invasion

[mi]

Propaganda works by citing a Russian invasion of Crimea that never happened

During 2014, maybe, it was excusable to believe this lie.

But when, a year later, Russian TV broadcast an entire movie celebrating the invasion — and Putin's direct involvement in it — the excuse vanished. In particular, during the interview, that is part of the film, Putin says:

I ordered Minister of Defense, why hide, under the guise of reinforcing our military installations in Crimea, to transfer forces of GRU there, marines, and paratroopers. [...] Our advantage was that I was personally involved. Not because I did everything right, but because the country's top people are involved, things are easier for the operators on the ground".

The cat's been out of the bag since March 2015. Your continuing to lie about it does not help Russia — it just exposes you as an asshole.

Lie to people often enough and they eventually believe it.

Yep, this is generally true. But it will not help you here.

Re:Denying Crimea invasion

[Zemran]

If the American troops stationed in Guantanamo occupied Havana invaded that would be an invasion but if the people of Havana overthrew their government that would not be. There was no invasion, it did not happen. If Cuba was overthrown by anti US rebels that were busy murdering US citizens the US would reinforce Guantanamo. That would not be a shock. There was no fake referendum, calling it such only shows how little you know the area. The people are Russian and work for Russia. If Russia left they would be out of work and overrun by Svoboda Nazis. Why would they not vote for continuing the good life? 50% of Ukraine is ethnic Russian and they were being dragged out of their houses and burnt alive. Crimea had a choice and took it without even needing to think about it as there was no viable option. Why would you think that Russian troops would be needed to invade a Russian population?