The innovations in the technology have taken the human way ahead of his time. Today, the use of internet has increased tremendously, as the service is reaching to every corner of the world. And, the wireless technology is increasing this expansion, like never before. But, every innovation has an anti-hero, which makes things worse in the system. The similar anti-hero, in the internet place, is a virus. It has become a potentially dangerous threat that can bring down huge companies just in a matter of hours or sometimes less than that.
But, humans have always found a solution to the problem. Our capability of solving issues is unmatched and therefore, we are the most genius brains on this planet. A solution to eradicate, and even avoid, such dangerous viruses is an ‘anti-virus’. Today, world’s biggest cybersecurity companies are constantly developing programs to make the internet and the computers a safer place. Kaspersky is one such leading company, founded by a cybersecurity expert and a math genius, Eugene Kaspersky.
Early Life
Kaspersky was born on 4th October 1965 in Novorossiysk, Russia, to an engineer father and historical archivist mother. His family moved to Moscow when he was just nine. Kaspersky became interested in mathematics at an early age. He also got attracted towards technology, which would prove beneficial for him in his future. As his interest grew in mathematics, he started participating in competitions and soon, he won the second prize at the age of 14, in one of those competitions. The same year, he went to attend A. N. Kolmogorov School, specializing in mathematics, run by Moscow University.
Two years later, at the age of 16, Kaspersky got selected for a five-year program, with the technical faculty of KGB higher school. He was to be prepared for intelligence officer for the military of Russia and KGB.
In the year 1987, Kaspersky graduated in mathematical engineering from the Institute of Cryptography, Telecommunications, and Computer Science, Moscow. During his graduation, he gave special attention to cryptography and upcoming computer technologies.
Early Career
Kaspersky started working at a cryptography institute, sponsored by KGB. During this time he was introduced to computer viruses and quickly got attracted to solving these threats. His interest got serious when he first discovered a virus called Cascade Virus, in 1989. He went forward to analyze the virus and developed his first antivirus disinfection program. He kept on finding new viruses and subsequently, kept developing disinfection programs for the same.
He left the research institute in 1991 and took a job at Information Technology Center of KAMI, where he worked on his antivirus program full-time. Kaspersky set a base for what would be known as Kaspersky anti-virus company. He worked on AVP (Antivirus Toolkit Pro), which was also improved by his colleagues at KAMI. He released the product officially in 1992 and the product was sold to 10 clients, per month, bringing in the revenue of about $100. His clients mostly included companies from Ukraine and Russia.
Founding Kaspersky Anti-Virus
In 1997, Eugene Kaspersky decided to set up his own company. He co-founded AVP, along with his wife Natalya. This was due to the boost in sales, the product witnessed from 1994 when Hamburg University placed Kaspersky’s antivirus software at the first place. And, in 1995, Kaspersky’s software was only one software, which could get rid of the Chernobyl virus which made the software even more famous.
In 2000, AVP was renamed to Kaspersky Anti-Virus after its business was weakened, as an American man registered the AVP trademark. Soon, the company started growing in terms of employees and its software capabilities.
Finding Harmful Threats
Over the time, Kaspersky gained phenomenal success and fame by discovering cybersecurity threats. They brought down harmful threats one after another. The company hired a researcher, who discovered the Stuxnet worm, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges. In 2012, the company discovered another Stuxnet like virus called Flame.
Kaspersky was also successful in bringing down a group of hackers, Carbanak, who was stealing money from the bank. Kaspersky then became an internationally famous cybersecurity Russian company. Eugene Kaspersky became the CEO of the company, in 2007, and from 2012, he started working on software to protect important infrastructures, like power plants from cyber-warfare.
The company has over 3000 employees and has annual revenue of $711 million. Today, the company’s evaluation has reached $1 billion.
Personal Life
Kaspersky has a net worth of 1 billion dollars, and currently, lives in Moscow, Russia with his wife and five children. He divorced his first wife and the co-founder of the company, in 1998. After the incident, when his son was kidnapped, in 2011, Kaspersky travels with bodyguards.
Harshal Pawar is an avid reader, a TV show addict, and a writer. He has a personal blog brainwork.wordpress.com where he jots down his articles and poetry about love and life.
He is currently pursuing film-making and wishes to bring the words written on a paper to the screen. More of all he is a scorpio.