Kaspersky launches Istanbul Transparency Center

Kaspersky has announced the opening of its new Transparency Center in Istanbul, Turkey, where the company’s stakeholders can learn more about Kaspersky solutions, review its source code or examine the results of independent audits. This marks further expansion of the company’s Global Transparency Initiative (GTI), which Kaspersky has been developing since 2018, enhancing trust in its products and internal processes and promoting evidence-based approach toward IT product security assessment.

The opening of the Transparency Center took place in Istanbul on April 29th, 2024, with the participation of Kaspersky Founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky. This Center will serve as a facility for the company’s partners, and customers, as well as regulators in the field of cybersecurity, to review the source code of all Kaspersky on-premise products, software updates and threat detection rules. Additionally, visitors can examine the results of independent audits of the company’s solutions, and access the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), a list of software components utilized in Kaspersky solutions.

Kaspersky remains a dedicated advocate for transparency in the global cybersecurity industry, and educational projects with distinguished academic institutions are an important part of upholding this standard. The event announcing the Istanbul Transparency Center was held at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul and also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Kaspersky and Boğaziçi University. Signed by Kaspersky CEO Eugene Kaspersky and Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Naci İnci, the MoU aims to establish a framework for mutual technological cooperation, in future academic programs.

As a key component of the MoU, Kaspersky and Boğaziçi University will launch a Transparency Lab that will focus on educating students on methodologies and techniques for evaluating the quality and reliability of solutions within the supply chain in line with the company’s Cyber Capacity Building Program, which is one of the GTI’s pillars. The work of the Lab will also prioritize the development of proficiency in recognizing and navigating the landscape of cyber threats. The Transparency Lab will provide practical educational seminars, offered in both onsite and in online format by Kaspersky.

During the event Kaspersky’s Founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky noted, “Our professional and business ties with Turkey became stronger today. As the next step in developing our long-standing cooperation, we open a Transparency Center in Istanbul and seal our partnership with the city’s Boğaziçi University, with both endeavors seeking to further boost the cyber resilience of the country. As Turkey pursues its digitalization and serves as a driving force for this trend in the entire META region, we’re honored to enhance our expertise and knowledge-sharing with local organizations to ensure that their digital journey is as smooth as possible.”

Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Naci İnci emphasized that national and international collaborations have increased recently, especially with the projects in the fields of artificial intelligence, data science and cyber security, "This agreement, which emphasizes the importance of giving priority to companies that invest in our country and encourage technology transfer, instead of seeing our country only as a technology market, is a major initiative within the framework of our national technology initiative. It has value. Global cyber security companies often perceive our country only as a market for their own products and do not consider investing in the development of Turkey. However, the goodwill agreement with Kaspersky sets a leading example by demonstrating the determination to invest in our country. With this collaboration, our university's Technology Transfer Office and Kaspersky will establish a joint laboratory that will provide our young talents with the opportunity to conduct research in the field of cyber security.”

As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, Kaspersky remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard digital ecosystems and empower individuals and organizations to navigate the digital world securely.