Managing Director, Kasperskly Lab, Vasily Dyagilev
ANTIVIRUS developer Kaspersky Lab will be developing its own operating system to be deployed in industry systems that might fall victim to hacking attempts, according to founder Eugene Kaspersky. “We’re developing a secure operating system for protecting key information systems (industrial control systems (ICS)) used in industry/infrastructure. Quite a few rumours about this project have already appeared on the Internet, so I guess it’s time to lift the curtain (a little) on our secret project and let you know (a bit) about what’s really going on,” he wrote on his blog.
Kaspersky highlighted that industrial computers, such as those maintaining electricity grids and water supply, were vulnerable to attack and once they had been breached criminals could cause all sorts of havoc.
Consumers will not be able to buy the software over the counter, as it is strictly for large corporations. “The development is a truly secure environment. It is a sophisticated project and almost impracticable without active interaction with ICS operators and vendors,” Kaspersky said. He added that there would be some elements of the operating system that would remain a secret forever – to ward of future attacks and to maintain a competitive edge.
In another development, the company announced that it would be increasing its presence in Africa. “We have seen a 30 per cent growth in retail in Africa, but unfortunately that growth has been driven by cybercrime,” said Vasily Dyagilev, Managing Director of Kasperskly Lab Emerging Markets.
“Cybercrime is worth billions of dollars. Our aim is to become the number one IT security vendor in South Africa and the leader in the African region within the next three years. It is for this reason that the company recently undertook a restructuring process within its office located in Johannesburg, South Africa.”
