Security firm Kaspersky Lab is on the defense following media and US government suspicion about its link to the Russian government.
"Regardless of how the facts are misconstrued to fit in with a hypothetical, false theory, Kaspersky Lab, and its executives, do not have inappropriate ties with any government," the Moscow-based company said in a statement posted to its website. "The company does regularly work with governments and law enforcement agencies around the world with the sole purpose of fighting cybercrime."
The denial comes after Bloomberg on Monday, citing internal Kaspersky Lab emails, reported that the security vendor "has maintained a much closer working relationship with Russia's main intelligence agency, the FSB, than it has publicly admitted."
The report further claims Kaspersky Lab has "developed security technology at the spy agency's behest and worked on joint projects [Kaspersky Lab CEO Eugene Kaspersky] knew would be embarrassing if made public."
On Tuesday, the Trump administration removed Kaspersky Lab from two lists of approved vendors from which government agencies can purchase technology equipment, Reuters reports. The move was reportedly driven by "concerns its products could be used by the Kremlin to gain entry into US networks."
In a statement to PCMag, Kaspersky Lab on Wednesday denied any ties to any government. The company said it "has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyberespionage efforts.
"Kaspersky Lab...seems to be caught in the middle of a geopolitical fight where each side is attempting to use the company as a pawn in their political game," the company wrote. Kaspersky Lab said its CEO and Founder Eugene Kaspersky "has repeatedly offered to meet with government officials, testify before the US Congress, and provide the company's source code for an official audit to help address any questions the US government has."
Meanwhile, Kaspersky Lab in its statement Monday said the internal communications referenced in the Bloomberg article were "misinterpreted or manipulated to fit the agenda of certain individuals desperately wanting there to be inappropriate ties between the company, its CEO and the Russian government.
"No matter what communication they claim to have, the facts clearly remain there is no evidence because no such inappropriate ties exist," the company wrote.