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Amid growing concerns around IT security and cyberconflict, combined with Microsoft’s increased emphasis on operating system security, Kaspersky Labs is in the process of developing an OS of its own.
At this point, there is very little detail on what the platform might one day entail. A Kaspersky spokesperson told CRN that "no interviews or Q&As" are currently being scheduled. But a company press release, as well as a blog post from CEO and Co-founder Eugene Kaspersky, confirmed that an OS development initiative is currently under way. "Since there has been some speculation regarding the company’s plans, we wanted to be sure to bring everyone up-to-speed by providing some clarity on what we are working on and why," he said via email.
In a keynote speech to the ITU Telecom World 2012 conference, Eugene Kaspersky outlined risks surrounding cyberterrorism and cyberwar and then called for increased international cooperation and the development of advanced technology to protect vulnerable industrial systems.
[Related: Kaspersky Amps up Android security]
"In the long run, cyberwarfare is where all parties lose: attackers, victims and even uninvolved observers. Unlike traditional weapons, tools used in cyberwarfare are very easy to clone and reprogram by adversaries. The most important move to survive in this environment is the development and deployment of a new, advanced security paradigm for the most critical infrastructure."
With this statement as a backdrop, Kaspersky on Tuesday issued a blog post to "end the speculation" and confirm that his company is working on a security-enhanced OS.
"We're developing a secure operating system for protecting key information systems (industrial control systems (ICS)) used in industry/infrastructure," he wrote. "Quite a few rumors about this project have appeared already 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."
