Is Kaspersky a "Red" Herring ?

Discussion in 'privacy general' started by wtsinnc, Mar 19, 2015.

  1. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    "Britain's cyber security center says has never certified Kaspersky products...

    LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's National Cyber Security Centre said on Tuesday it had never certified products from Russian cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab.

    'The NCSC certifies products through a range of initiatives, and vendors apply to have their products certified via one of our accredited lab partners,' the NCSC, which is part of Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping security agency, said.

    'We certify products through a range of initiatives, but the NCSC has never had products listed from Kaspersky,' it said..."

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-kasperskylab-russia-britain-idUSKBN1A30U2
     
  2. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    @plat1098

    hawki deleted his post re: Kaspersy's public relations ad on Washington, D.C. PBS radio station WETA.

    The post was not accurate -- hawki has since learned that PBS started accepting commercial advertising on a limited basis in 2011. So interesting but not "weird and extraordinary"

    Looks like the only "weird and extraordinary" thing about PBS these days is its controversial firing of the original pupeteer/voice behind Kermit The Frog who has held that position from Kermit's day-one until last week.
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2017
  3. itman

    itman Registered Member

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    Here's my "connecting the dots" analysis on this development.

    Kaspersky launched a "frontal assault" against one of the largest political campaign contributors in the U.S. - Microsoft. This sanctioning was "to send a message" to any another other AV vendor contemplating like activities against Microsoft; especially foreign ones.
     
  4. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    Oh OK, hawki, thanks for explaining. Cuz when I read my post when yours had disappeared, that was looking a little "weird and extraordinary" just hanging there without any reference. lol! Still...an unusual move by Kaspersky, right? But whatever it takes.....
     
  5. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    Definitely. The sudden appearance of a public relations campaign by Kaspersky targeted at the Washington D.C. Metro area on a PBS station.
     
  6. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    It's unusual the channel of communication that was selected. Did K have a specific target audience in mind? Politicians and wealthy corporate magnates? If Kaspersky remained silent, this would be taken as a tacit acknowledgement of guilt and conspiracy. There are a lot of nebulous areas remaining, this is some real drama. .
     
  7. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    Agreed.

    Of note is the fact that because of its infrequent and short voice segments (90-95% uninterrupted music suitable for playing while working), WETA is commonly used as the background music of choice in brick and mortar bookstores, cafes, and 5-on-every-block coffee shops throughout downtown D.C. (D.C. runs on money and caffeine).

    The support of PBS/WETA also gives a gloss of supporting the general public welfare.
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2017
  8. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    "Local governments keep using this software [Kaspersky] — but it might be a back door for Russia...

    "...The federal agency in charge of purchasing, the General Services Administration, this month removed Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab from its list of approved vendors. In doing so, the agency’s statement suggested a vulnerability exists in Kaspersky that could give the Russian government backdoor access to the systems it protects, though they offered no explanation or evidence of it...

    The GSA included a reference to 'System of Operational-Investigative Measures,' or SORM — a national Russian electronic eavesdropping network that the U.S. government publicly warned about in advance of Americans traveling to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia...

    ...The GSA statement this month said 'applicability' of SORM to Kaspersky 'supported GSA’s decision to exercise the cancellation clause.'

    A former senior U.S. law enforcement official, who works in cybersecurity and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he thinks that the reference to SORM indicates the 'GSA is saying there is some kind of vulnerability that gives the [Russian] government access.'..."

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/local-governments-keep-using-this-software--but-it-might-be-a-back-door-for-russia/2017/07/23/39692918-6c99-11e7-8961-ec5f3e1e2a5c_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_kaspersky-710pm:homepage/story

    [A Washington Post Online, Front page,above-the-fold investigation report]
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2017
  9. RockLobster

    RockLobster Registered Member

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    Those silly old Russians. I mean really. Everyone knows, America can do it to you but you're not allowed to do it to them. What is it about that they don't understand?
     
  10. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    "Transparency, due process fell by the wayside in the case of Kaspersky Lab

    The government’s actions against Kaspersky Lab is a de facto debarment. Let’s just call it like it is. The government gave Kaspersky Lab the federal procurement version of the death penalty.

    And the lack of due process for the company should be alarming for every federal contractor. In fact, the entire episode should be a big, flashing, warning light for other companies, as the actions taken by the government are highly unusual, severe and unexplainable, according to cyber and legal experts...

    Additionally, the lack of transparency on the evidence of a connection between Kaspersky Lab and the Russian government for this de facto debarment from the General Services Administration or anyone in the intelligence community is just as disconcerting...

    Federal procurement lawyers and federal cyber experts both say there seems to be no good reason for GSA to have kicked Kaspersky off the schedules program, and now for lawmakers to aggressively question agency use of their software..."

    https://federalnewsradio.com/report...-by-the-wayside-in-the-case-of-kaspersky-lab/
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2017
  11. Rico

    Rico Registered Member

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  12. NormanF

    NormanF Registered Member

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    No.

    Every cybersecurity firm in the world has a relationship with law enforcement agencies.

    They make it appear as if Kaspersky is doing something unusual. It isn't.
     
  13. Joxx

    Joxx Registered Member

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    oh, that's reassuring :rolleyes: (sarc, for those distracted)
     
  14. Rico

    Rico Registered Member

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    PC Pitstop using scare tactic. If this were a real problem, probably find out here first. And Kaspersky global sales drop to zero
     
  15. DOSawaits

    DOSawaits Registered Member

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    Perhaps it might be too good in blocking CIA malware :rolleyes:
     
  16. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    The Deep State Escalates it's War on Kaspersky:

    New York Times Op-Ed/Front Page By-Line:

    "The Russian Company That Is a Danger to Our Security...

    But a backdoor is not necessary. When a user installs Kaspersky Lab software, the company gets an all-access pass to every corner of a user’s computer network, including all applications, files and emails. And because Kaspersky’s servers are in Russia, sensitive United States data is constantly cycled through a hostile country. Under Russian laws and according to Kaspersky Lab’s certification by the F.S.B., the company is required to assist the spy agency in its operations, and the F.S.B. can assign agency officers to work at the company. Russian law requires telecommunications service providers such as Kaspersky Lab to install communications interception equipment that allows the F.S.B. to monitor all of a company’s data transmissions..."

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/...-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2017
  17. Minimalist

    Minimalist Registered Member

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    Kaspersky is telecommunication service provider? I didn't know that. Do they talk about VPN services or are they ISP in their country?
     
  18. Rafales

    Rafales Registered Member

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  19. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    I also questioned that -- kinda jumps off the page. Did some looking at Russia's surveillance legislation ( SORMs = "System for Operative Investigative Activities" aimed at tellecommunicatioins companies and ISPs operating in Russia) but IMHO the info available through a quick Google search is not definitive. IMHO, by stretching the broadest definition of telecommunications service Kasperky could conceivably get caught up under it. Of course, if The Russian Government says Kaspersky comes under The SORMs -- it does. If accurate, it would be very disturbing.

    The thing is this however. For the purpose I thought this Op Ed significant, it doesn't make any difference whether or not it's accurate. The Op Ed has as of this time been elevated to the top of the front page with it's own highlighting summary (Typically NYT's Op Eds have a short, front page title as a link to the Op Ed. Only what the Editors consider to be the most signifcant get a short summary. So the Editors are pushing this one.) Most of those who read it will not question it. Factually accurate or not, it's a brazen scare piece. The NYT has a circulation of 2.5 million subscribers and it's demographic includes tons of corporate decision makers.

    It's extremely rare to see a corporate hit piece like this in the NYT Op-Eds. That status is typically reserved for corporations that have committed some hideous immoral corporate misdead that has resulted in the loss of human life or massive fraud on consumers. That the NYT Editorial Board decided to push this piece raises the spectre of some unusual influence -- FWIW: It's doubtful The NYT would publish it without doing some independant fact-checking with its sources within the intelligence community. That the NYT did not provide Kaspersky an opportunity to comment makes it all the more unusual.

    Bottom line = meritorious or not,there's an escalating, no-holds barred, all-out war being sponsored against Kaspersky by the US powers that be.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2017
  20. RockLobster

    RockLobster Registered Member

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    Seems to me they are trying to blame Kaspersky for their own security screw up. Isn't it rather obvious to not use closed source software from a foreign country in computers connected to government networks, especially when that type of software requires root and to send telemetry back to its servers about what it finds.
    If Russian intelligence services exploited that, they were only doing the same thing ours would do and if the NSA and Homeland Security spend less time hacking OUR computers, and conspiring with the CIA and MOSSAD to create terrorists, and actually did what they were supposed to do, they all might not have been caught with their pants down on this.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2017
  21. deBoetie

    deBoetie Registered Member

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    One thing that is of value in this very dubious piece, is for mere pawns in the game to consider very carefully the value and risks of their A/V software - wherever it comes from.

    Sadly, because of the extreme levels of access A/V gets to your system internals, files, url/browsing history, and incessant chatter to update and report back, I think A/V is becoming a bigger threat than what it solves. My protective stance is far more focused on containerisation, isolation and sandboxing than doomed attempts at signatures or even behavioural analysis.
     
  22. Reality

    Reality Registered Member

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    That, along with your reasons - plus the bloat, was why I ditched AVs years ago and I've never regretted it.
     
  23. RockLobster

    RockLobster Registered Member

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    Me too. They arn't worth a damn anyway. I had virus a few times in the past while I had up to date antivirus installed. The virus trashed the AV every time. One time the AV did detect a virus but it was too late, the PC froze up, by the time I rebooted, Windows was toast.
     
  24. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    "Best Buy pulls Kaspersky's antivirus software from its shelves

    Amid growing concern/speculation/hysteria that Kaspersky Lab products could be tied to the Russian government, retailer Best Buy has stopped selling its antivirus. Minnesota's StarTribune first reported the move, citing a source who said that the company felt there are 'too many unanswered questions' after conducting its own investigation..."

    https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/08/best-buy-pulls-kasperskys-antivirus-software-from-its-shelves/
     
  25. Minimalist

    Minimalist Registered Member

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    The source says that they did not conduct it's own investigation (my bolding):
    http://www.startribune.com/best-buy...are-from-russian-firm-from-shelves/443274603/
     
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