Kaspersky Leads Cybersecurity Transparency Assessment
Kaspersky has emerged as one of the most transparent vendors in an independent cybersecurity transparency assessment of 14 leading security providers, consistently exceeding industry norms across data handling, supply chain trust, and customer verification capabilities. The company released a comprehensive whitepaper titled “Protection beyond detection: Why trust and transparency decide your cybersecurity future” based on the groundbreaking study.
Independent Study Reveals Transparency Gaps in Cybersecurity Industry
The independent study, “Transparency Review and Accountability in Cyber Security,” was commissioned in 2025 by the Tyrol Chamber of Commerce (WKO) and conducted by MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® and Studio Legale Tremolada in cooperation with AV-Comparatives. The research evaluated vendors against a wide range of transparency and accountability criteria, finding that while baseline compliance is widespread, many verifiable trust practices remain rare across the industry.
The assessment revealed significant differentiators among vendors. Kaspersky was one of only three of the 14 vendors evaluated to provide customers with access to Transparency Centers where source code, data handling practices, and update processes can be independently reviewed. Of these, Kaspersky stands out with the broadest Transparency Center offering, including threat detection rule examination and verification checks to confirm builds match public releases.
As part of its Global Transparency Initiative, Kaspersky has opened more than 10 facilities globally, offering multiple review options for enterprise and government stakeholders. The company is also among only three vendors to provide access to a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), and one of just four to publish regular transparency reports detailing requests from law enforcement and government agencies.
Kaspersky Excels in Security Posture and Data Protection
Across the 60 criteria assessed, Kaspersky met or exceeded industry benchmarks in 57 categories, the highest result among the vendors reviewed. The company was one of just three vendors to meet all security posture criteria analyzed, including vulnerability reporting, security advisories, collaboration and commitment to the ‘Safe Harbor’ statement, security audit results, and secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) processes. These criteria are described in the report as “key indicators of trustworthiness and long-term resilience.”
The assessment included hands-on technical analysis of cybersecurity products. Kaspersky Next EDR Optimum demonstrated minimal data collection in testing and was recognized for providing customers with the ability to disable cloud-based reputation services and EDR functionality entirely. The assessment also found that customer control over product updates varies significantly between vendors, with only six vendors, including Kaspersky, allowing customers to inspect virus definitions.
“Cybersecurity solutions run deep inside our customers’ systems, so being accountable really matters. When independent experts review our work, transparency becomes something you can measure – not just take on faith. We give organizations concrete evidence they can use to decide whom to trust, while at the same time encouraging higher standards across the entire cybersecurity industry.”
Eugene Kaspersky, Founder and CEO of Kaspersky
Transparency Becomes Key Vendor Selection Criterion
The report concludes that for CISOs and enterprise stakeholders, transparency should be a key evaluation criterion in vendor selection. Vendors that combine strong protection with structured transparency, such as SBOM availability, verifiable update processes, published audit results, and customer-controlled data flows, offer enterprises a higher level of assurance.
At an industry level, the research reflects a broader shift toward accountability-driven cybersecurity governance. Regulatory initiatives increasingly emphasize traceability, secure development, and post-market transparency, signaling that practices identified as low adoption today may soon become baseline expectations. Independent assessments provide a benchmark for both vendors and customers as these expectations evolve.
To help CISOs ensure sound third-party risk management, Kaspersky has included an actionable checklist in the whitepaper that enables them to evaluate the trustworthiness of their software providers and strengthen the resilience of their supply chain. The full report, “Transparency Review and Accountability in Cybersecurity,” is available for download on Kaspersky’s website.
