Russian Antivirus Expert Explodes Security Myths

Russian antivirus guru Eugene Kaspersky has hit out at some of the myths which cloud what he sees as the real issues facing the IT security industry.

Speaking to silicon.com in Moscow, the eponymous head of Kaspersky Labs said companies' own agendas and some well-worn stereotypes about cyber crime stand in the way of reasoned discussion. He also criticised those who put too much faith in stats which, taken out of context, are often dangerously misleading.

He said: "Hackers now want systems which work. They want to use these systems and there are instances now when corporate networks are badly impacted but they still work and there is no damage."

To say that kind of attack therefore has no economic value is highly dangerous, said Kaspersky, given the unquantifiable impact that data loss could have on a business.

Another issue close to his heart, which Kaspersky said needs to be addressed, is the idea that cyber crime is predominantly a Russian issue and he points the finger of blame at an old adversary in the propaganda wars. "There has been this stereotype thanks to the American press," said Kaspersky, who believes such notions have held back the fight against malware and hackers.

Kaspersky said the data he sees suggests there is more malicious code coming out of China and Latin America than Russia currently and said he finds it disappointing to see Russia the subject of so many negative headlines.