[mhneu]

Kaspersky was trained by the FSB (former KGB). (Putin has been quoted as saying "there's no such thing as a /former/ KGB officer").

So as a defacto agent of the Russian government, Kaspersky certainly considers the NSA (and other Western gov't agencies) to be an adversary.

Agreed that it's crazy that the US govt ever used Kaspersky software.

https://www.extremetech.com/internet/252421-russian-cybersec...

"According to emails obtained by Bloomberg Businessweek (and confirmed by Kaspersky Lab as genuine), Kaspersky’s ties to the Russian FSB (the successor to the KGB) are much tighter than have previously been reported. It has allegedly worked with the government to develop security software and worked on joint projects that “the CEO knew would be embarrassing if made public.”

[dragonwriter]

> Kaspersky was trained by the FSB (former KGB).

No, he was trained by the KGB, the predecessor to the FSB, SVR RF, and , I think, a couple other organizations. (That is, he was trained while the Soviet Union and the KGB existed, and before the Russian Federation became independent and existing and new Russian institutions succeeded to the roles of the former Soviet organs.)

[mhneu]

Sorry, should have said

"Eugene Kaspersky was trained by the KGB."

[Bendingo]

More specifically, Kaspersky studied at Institute of Cryptography, Telecommunications and Computer Science, which was administered by the KGB, and "offered the best mathematics courses available in the old USSR" [0].

It is disingenuous and misleading (like so much of the anti-Russia narrative) to state that he was "trained by the KGB", as though they taught him everything they know about spy-craft and espionage.

[0] http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/security-it/meet-eugene-kasp...

[dreamfactored]

Well the Pentium chip itself was a Russian design so why not use their AV - https://www.theregister.co.uk/1999/06/07/intel_uses_russia_m...

[mhneu]

Cause the Pentium chip doesn't send info back to Russian intelligence services?

The US has a lot to lose by linking tech firms to intelligence services, but in this case - when an agent of one gov't is hacking another gov't, links to intelligence services are suitable for discussion.

[monocasa]

The Pentium was not a Russian design. Seriously, anytime The Register makes a claim, it's generally more accurate to assume the opposite.