Kaspersky Lab develops and markets antivirus, internet security, password management, endpoint security, and other cybersecurity products and services. It is the fourth or fifth largest endpoint security vendor and the third largest consumer IT security software company. It is the sixth largest overall IT security company. Its revenues are about 15 percent from Russian companies domestically, one-third from European organizations and one-fourth from US organizations. The software has about 400 million users in all.
Kaspersky's consumer software include the Antivirus, Internet Security and Total Security products. The Antivirus software includes malware protection, monitors the PC for suspicious program behavior, and warns users about potentially dangerous websites. The Internet Security software adds privacy features, parental controls, anti-phishing tools. Total Security adds parental controls, adult website filters, diagnostic tools, a Password Manager application, and other features. Since 2023, the new lineup was introduced, with Kaspersky Basic, Plus and Premium replacing Antivirus, Internet Security and Total Security. Kaspersky's software is available for Macs, PCs, Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Symbian.
For businesses, the company has developed Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity for OT environments, and Kaspersky Hybrid Cloud Security for container infrastructures. Detection and response solutions include Kaspersky Next XDR Expert, Kaspersky Next EDR Optimum, and Kaspersky SIEM for centralized security monitoring. The company markets the Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business suite. It includes a centralized user interface and management application called the Kaspersky Security Center. The cybersecurity software itself is called the Kaspersky Security Network. The business suite also has quarantine, reporting, and other features. Its software product for businesses with 25 staff or less is called Kaspersky Small Office Security (KSOS). Within the suite are products specifically for virtualization security, mobile security, and fraud protection among others. Kaspersky also develops a free tool that helps businesses gain access to Windows devices that are infected by ransomware. In 2017, KasperskyOS, a secure operating system, was released, and in 2021, Kaspersky IoT Secure Gateway 100 for IoT was introduced based on it. Among cloud solutions, Kaspersky Hybrid Cloud Security protects cloud infrastructures, and Kaspersky SD-WAN ensures secure corporate networks.
KasperskyOS is a proprietary microkernel operating system built from scratch using secure-by-design principles. It's developed by Kaspersky for embedded and industrial devices with heightened cybersecurity demands. It features minimal trusted kernel, strict isolation of components in user space, default-deny policy enforcement and formal, policy-based control via the Kaspersky Security System. The aim is to create “Cyber Immune” systems that keep critical functions operating even if some parts of the system are attacked via unknown vulnerabilities. Key use cases are network equipment, industrial control/IoT gateways, smart cars, smart city and transport infrastructure, and other critical-infrastructure uses.
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KasperskyOS is distributed both as a platform and inside finished appliances such as the Kaspersky IoT Secure Gateway (KISG 100/1000), while early deployments also appeared in Kraftway routing/switching gear.
There is a community edition for prototyping and development.
Threatpost
Threatpost is a discontinued computer security blog which was funded by Kaspersky Lab. According to Eugene Kaspersky, it was independent of Kaspersky. It was launched in 2009. After August 2022, no new articles have been published on the site.
Market assessments and reception
According to 2016 reviews in PC Magazine, Kaspersky AntiVirus and competitor Bitdefender were both consistently ranked at the top in independent competitive tests. PC Magazine's own malware and phishing tests showed similar results. Noted pros — “bonus security tools” and a large number of Kaspersky Total Security features, including password management, encryption and parental control software. Minuses — scanning took longer than expected. The product received high scores in lab tests for antivirus, antiphishing and other features and “average” scores in tests for antivirus and spam filtering.
Kaspersky's 2013 Endpoint Security for Windows product was the top-ranked enterprise antivirus software in a competitive test by Dennis Technology Labs, followed by Symantec Endpoint Protection. AV-Comparatives awarded Kaspersky "Product of the Year" for 2015. PC Magazine praised the software's features, but said it lacked policy management and deployment options. Kaspersky's parental control software has been praised by PC Magazine for its “very affordable parental control and monitoring,” software content filtering, child profiles, social media monitoring and other features. Downsides noted: some features only available for iOS or Android.
The anti-virus software testing group AV-Comparatives gave the Windows XP version of Kaspersky AV an "Advanced+" rating (its highest) in both its February 2008 on-demand detection test (with the fourth highest detection rate among 16 products tested). However, in the Retrospective/Proactive Test May 2008, Kaspersky received the "Standard" rating, detecting 21% of new malware with 1-month old signatures and receiving a substantial amount of false positives.
The firewall included in Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 got a "Very Good" rating in Matousec's Firewall challenge, with a result of 85%. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0 has achieved a 6.5 result out of 8 in the Anti Malware Labs rootkit detection test. It has also achieved a 31 out of 33 detection of polymorphic viruses and a 97% result in the self-protection test.
In 2007, Kaspersky Internet Security 7 received an award from the British magazine PC Pro and also won a place in its "A List".
Kaspersky has passed most of the Virus Bulletin comparative tests since August 2003. In 2005, according to PC World magazine, Kaspersky anti-virus software provided the fastest updates for new virus and security threats in the industry.
In PC World magazine's March 2010 comparison of consumer security suites, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 scored 4.5/5 stars, and was rated second overall. In the December 2011 version of AV-Comparatives' annual reports, Kaspersky Lab's software achieved the highest overall ranking and has earned the AV Comparatives' "Product of the Year" award.
On February 1, 2012, Kaspersky Internet Security earned "AV-TEST Award for Best Repair 2011" award in the field of home user products from AV-TEST Institute. On January 28, 2013, Kaspersky Endpoint Security earned "AV-TEST Award for Best Protection 2012" and "AV-TEST Award for Best Repair 2012" awards in the field of corporate products from AV-TEST Institute.
Later in 2013, Kaspersky earned the product of the year award from AV-Comparatives and the highest score among Enterprise solutions in a Dennis Technology Labs report.
Kaspersky has also received certification of its products through the OESIS OK Certification Program, which verifies that the applications are interoperable with third-party technology solutions like NAC and SSL VPN products from Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, F5 Networks, and others.
Kaspersky products regularly participate in and achieve high results in independent tests by AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs. These organizations are members of the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), which Microsoft has adopted as an “industry standard organization” for independent certification purposes.
In 2025, the company’s products received three awards at the SE Labs Security Awards 2025. In 2026, the company was recognized in the QKS Group’s SPARK Matrix 2025: Digital Threat Intelligence Management report in seven key categories of enterprise cybersecurity products and services.
Key reports and research on SAS
A significant part of the SAS program over the years has been devoted to presenting the results of new investigations into cyberattacks and APT groups.
Careto (“The Mask”) – In 2014, Kaspersky reported on the Careto campaign (also known as The Mask), which targeted Spanish-speaking countries. Kaspersky first publicly presented information about Careto at the SAS conference in Punta Cana. The attack reportedly lasted for many years and affected government and energy structures in more than 30 countries. Researchers noted that Careto was one of the most sophisticated cyber espionage operations.
Equation Group – In 2015, the GReAT team presented an analysis of the attacks and malware used by the Equation Group, one of the most advanced APTs. Equation used malware at the hard drive firmware level and attacked hundreds of computers in dozens of countries. The report on Equation caused significant attention in the professional community and the media.
Carbanak – In 2015, Kaspersky researchers, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, uncovered the Carbanak cybercriminal group, which defrauded about 100 banks around the world. Information about the attacks was presented at SAS in Cancun in 2015, including details of theft operations totaling up to $1 billion. It was proven that the attackers infected corporate bank networks and made unauthorized money transfers.
De-anonymization of hackers – In 2015, research was presented at SAS on the de-anonymization of cybercriminals through analysis of their online behavior. Recorded Future showed how attackers, even those using Tor, left so many traces on the internet that they could be linked to real people. In particular, by analyzing common data leaks from attackers, Recorded Future showed that information about former hackers, including email addresses and passwords, was easily found in open sources.
Moonlight Maze – The historic Moonlight Maze operation (late 1990s) was again the subject of analysis at SAS in 2016. A new investigation presented by Professor Thomas Reed linked the well-known Moonlight Maze operation to modern attacks by the Turla group. Moonlight Maze was one of the first identified cyber campaigns, likely sponsored at the state level (it attacked the Pentagon, NASA, and U.S. energy facilities), and its study served as the basis for understanding modern threats.
Attack via CCleaner – In 2018, the Avast team presented a report at SAS on the results of its investigation into the compromise of the CCleaner utility. Experts discovered the ShadowPad backdoor in the CCleaner developers' infrastructure and presented details in a report at SAS in Cancun. The attack affected millions of users, and the report revealed technical details of the campaign, including links to the Axiom group (presumably associated with APT17).
Data leaks via multi-scanning services – Representatives of Swisscom AG spoke about security threats arising from the fact that confidential data (personal, government, official, commercial) ends up in malware scanning services. Such services have effectively become repositories of sensitive business data, creating a new class of risks for corporate security.
Vulnerabilities in robotics – Research by the MalCrawler team at SAS 2018 demonstrated security issues in industrial robotic systems: many industrial robots use outdated operating systems (e.g., Windows XP) and control systems that are accessible by default without a password, and robot control programs remain “open” to hacking. As a result, industrial facilities are vulnerable to “emergency shutdown” attacks (e.g., Triconex/Triton).
ShadowHammer – In 2019, Kaspersky Lab uncovered the ShadowHammer supply chain attack: malicious code was embedded in official ASUS Live Update updates and delivered to 500,000–1,000,000 computers, with the attack specifically targeting approximately 600 systems. Analysis showed a high level of preparation for the operation using compromised ASUS digital certificates. Kaspersky's findings were also confirmed by Symantec.
Operation Triangulation – A sophisticated spy attack on iOS devices using multiple zero-day vulnerabilities. Known cases of compromise cover the period from 2019 to 2024. Triangulation software allowed spies to gain complete control over victims' iPhones without interacting with the user. A description of this scheme and the hardware vulnerabilities used appeared in reports by Kaspersky and a review by Dark Reading. Journalists noted that Triangulation bypassed most of the iPhone's security mechanisms by relying on undocumented OS and hardware features. The research was presented at SAS in Thailand in 2023.
Malware disguised as crypto games – In 2024, Kaspersky GReAT experts uncovered a sophisticated campaign by the Lazarus group, in which malware was distributed under the guise of a crypto game. According to the study, the attackers exploited users' interest in crypto assets and gaming projects to infect systems and subsequently conduct surveillance. Analysts noted the high level of concealment and the multi-stage nature of the attack.
New spyware from Hacking Team – In 2025, researchers recorded the use of Dante spyware tools linked to the Italian company Memento Labs, which emerged during the reorganization of Hacking Team. The campaign exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Chrome.
