Kaspersky Lab and Facebook Partner to Make Social Networking Safer

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of security and threat management solutions, today announced a partnership with Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), with the goal of enhancing the security of social networking both online and offline. Kaspersky Lab is now supplying Facebook with up-to-the-minute data about the latest malicious software threats worldwide, which will be used to protect Facebook users from inadvertently visiting malicious web pages.

“Starting today, the people who use Facebook will be able to benefit from Kaspersky's industry-leading intelligence and technology with their malicious URL data and inclusion in the AV Marketplace. We look forward to the combined work of our companies to help keep people safe both on and off of Facebook.”

People are more likely to click on a link shared by a friend, and this inherent trust is something cyber-criminals prey upon. Malicious URLs can automatically share themselves with a victim’s personal contacts without the user’s knowledge, making the links appear legitimate. Now, when Facebook users share or click a link shared by their friends, the link will instantly be compared against Kaspersky Lab’s database of malicious web pages. If the link matches Facebook’s list of “known-bad” URLs – which are supplied to Facebook by Kaspersky Lab and other security vendors – the user will be immediately notified and blocked from visiting the web page. This not only prevents the user’s personal information and computer from being put at risk, but stops the malicious links from spreading further.

At Kaspersky Lab, more than 800 anti-malware experts work around the globe and around the clock to combat cybercrime, analyzing more than 125,000 threats daily. Using the information from the Kaspersky Security Network – a cloud-based repository from Kaspersky Lab customers who voluntarily share real-time data on attempted infections and malware activity – Kaspersky Lab experts can analyze data and produce up-to-the-second protection for its 300 million users protected by Kaspersky Lab products and technologies around the globe.

Keeping Facebook Users Informed and Protected

Kaspersky Lab believes that informed computer users are the first line of defense against cyber-crime. In addition to supplying Facebook with threat information, Kaspersky Lab will also contribute expert advice, tips and informative articles to the Facebook Security page. This resource center keeps the online community informed about the latest cyber-threats and provides regular reminders of safe online browsing habits. For more information on this Facebook service, please visit www.facebook.com/security.

In addition to timely advice, Kaspersky Lab is also supplying Facebook users with an exclusive free six-month subscription for its popular consumer security products. This six-month offer allows users to download Kaspersky PURE Total Security and Kaspersky Security for Mac, ensuring they have the best protection on their machines. Kaspersky PURE is the company’s flagship consumer suite, providing critical tools – including a password manager, data encryption, and file backup manager – to protect users’ digital assets. Kaspersky Security for Mac protects Mac owners from the growing threat of malware that targets OS X, and prevents Windows-based malware from becoming a hidden infection waiting to transfer to the PCs of friends and family via USB sticks and file sharing. These offers can be accessed through the “AV Marketplace” tab on Facebook Security page.

QUOTES:
Steve Orenberg, President
Kaspersky Lab North America
“When Kaspersky Lab was founded 15 years ago, we could only imagine the ways technology would interconnect the citizens of the Internet and what a huge impact this would have on individuals and society as a whole. The mission of Kaspersky Lab has always been to protect people and businesses as they connect online, and there is no network that is leading the future of online connections like Facebook. Both companies are the best at what we do, so it makes sense to work together toward a safer Internet for all.”

Costin Raiu, Director of Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT)
Kaspersky Lab
“Over the past 10 years, we’ve seen incredible growth in the amount of personal information people will voluntarily share, and cybercriminals have naturally ‘followed the money’ by creating scams and malicious programs specifically targeting social networks. It takes a blend of online awareness and top-notch security technology to be protected online – one cannot take the place of the other – and by partnering with Facebook, Kaspersky Lab intends to provide both.”

Joe Sullivan, Chief Security Officer
Facebook
"Starting today, the people who use Facebook will be able to benefit from Kaspersky's industry-leading intelligence and technology with their malicious URL data and inclusion in the AV Marketplace. We look forward to the combined work of our companies to help keep people safe both on and off of Facebook."

About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is the world’s largest privately held vendor of endpoint protection solutions. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users*. Throughout its 15-year history Kaspersky Lab has remained an innovator in IT security and provides effective digital security solutions for consumers, SMBs and Enterprises. The company currently operates in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 300 million users worldwide. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

*The company was rated fourth in the IDC rating Worldwide Endpoint Security Revenue by Vendor, 2010. The rating was published in the IDC report Worldwide IT Security Products 2011-2015 Forecast and 2010 Vendor Shares – December 2011. The report ranked software vendors according to earnings from sales of endpoint security solutions in 2010.

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