Russian cybersecurity giant Kaspersky is closing its UK offices and laying off employees, just three months after the company began shutting down its US operations and laying off dozens of employees, TechCrunch has learned. I found out through research.
Kaspersky spokesperson Francesco Tius said in an email to TechCrunch that the company “has begun winding down its office operations in the UK and will reorient its domestic operations towards partner channels.”
“This action will enable us to more efficiently exploit the business opportunities available in the UK market, enhancing overall business prosperity. Our customers and partners in the UK will be able to benefit from our European team and its strong and established partner network, through which we will continue to offer Kaspersky Lab's industry-leading cybersecurity products and services,” the statement continued.
Tius said the London office employs “fewer than 50 people.”
The move to close down its UK operations is the latest in a series of bad news for Kaspersky. Kaspersky Lab has long been accused of close ties to the Russian government, an accusation the company has long denied. In June, the U.S. government banned Kaspersky Lab from selling its products in the U.S. market, causing the company to lay off U.S. employees and close its offices in the country.
The ban forced Kaspersky to completely withdraw from the U.S. market, partner with a newly formed antivirus company, and transfer its U.S. customer base to a new company called UltraAV. Some Kaspersky customers were surprised to learn that this migration would force Kaspersky itself to be uninstalled from Windows computers and instead replace the software with UltraAV.
Kaspersky defended the controversial move, saying it had given customers enough notice even though it didn't explicitly ask for their consent to switch their antivirus software.