Kaspersky Lab joins anti-spam product developers' consortium

The consortium was established by ICSA Labs, an independent division of Cybertrust(r), the global information security specialist.

The consortium brings together developers of anti-spam solutions from different countries to share information and experience to create an independent source of information on anti-spam solutions and to advance anti-spam technologies.

"A primary goal for the Anti-Spam Product Developers' Consortium is to provide buyers of anti-spam products with a credible and objective source for information on the security and capabilities of the anti-spam products they are considering," said George Japak, vice president of ICSA Labs. "ICSA Labs looks forward to working with Kaspersky Lab and will draw on its expertise within the anti-spam arena to assist ICSA Labs in developing standards and definitions that allow for objective product analysis."

At the consortium's charter meeting on May 22, 2007 in Las Vegas, members will discuss the criteria that ICSA Labs proposes for anti-spam product certification testing. Following feedback on and acceptance by the consortium members of the proposed criteria, ICSA Labs will accept products for anti-spam certification testing. Finalizing the terminology for anti-spam product certification testing will also facilitate more effective training for end users.

Today, different approaches to solving the perennial problem of junk email, together with the absence of universally accepted definitions, make it impossible to objectively assess anti-spam solutions and hinder efforts to make them more effective. Participation of Kaspersky Lab, one of the leaders in anti-spam technology, will help establish common security standards required for the further development of anti-spam technology.

"The fact that anti-spam vendors need to get together to establish criteria for awarding an anti-spam product certification underlines the varied approaches that vendors are taking to tackle the problem," said Anna Vlasova, head of spam analysts at Kaspersky Lab. "Without industry-accepted assessment criteria, end users are forced to make choices based on personal experience. Certification will allow end users to consult expert advice before making an informed choice."

"The Anti-Spam Product Developers' Consortium represents a unique opportunity to share experience and knowledge effectively between the leading developers of anti-spam protection solutions from all around the globe. We are certain that participation in this body will help us to generate many useful ideas for extending the efficiency of our anti-spam products even further and providing a new level of protection for our customers in the Middle East region," said Maxim Shirokov, Business Development Manager in charge for Middle East and Africa at Kaspersky Lab.