Kaspersky Lab, an official sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari, announced that it is becoming the IT security provider to the latter. Kaspersky Lab has been sponsoring Ferrari since 2010. With each year the partnership has grown, and Kaspersky Lab’s branding has appeared on Ferrari’s F1 cars for three consecutive seasons. 2013 brings a new strategic level to the partnership between the two companies: following a new 5-year commercial agreement signed in April 2013, Ferrari is now a customer of Kaspersky Lab, receiving total endpoint IT security from the protection specialists.
In co-operation with the Ferrari ICT department, Kaspersky Lab has tailored an endpoint solution that meets Ferrari’s specific needs. This solution has been developed after six months of rigorous compliance testing and benchmarking against other IT Security providers. The Kaspersky endpoint solution is being installed on around 4,000 computers and a further installation will be rolled out over the next year to further additional devices to cover in effect, Ferrari’s entire application landscape.
“Although from a very different industry, Kaspersky Lab is linked to Ferrari by two key things – a quest for maximum speed and the drive to find synergies. We’re like the Ferrari of our field – fast to react to immediate threats and provide solutions to them, and fast to stay ahead of the pack and come up with new and original approaches to the security paradigm in general,” said Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and co-founder of Kaspersky Lab.
The project is a unique benchmark for the industry as Ferrari has special needs in terms of security. The Kaspersky Lab solution will be installed not only on office computers but also on computers controlling production lines as well as on employees’ tablets and smartphones. Ferrari has imposed more stringent IT security requirements to protect its production processes, and to ensure the safety of its drivers during races. Kaspersky Lab has produced a solution which combines easy manageability with total control over complex systems.
Vittorio Boero, Ferrari Chief Information Officer, commented: “As we look for perfection in all areas of our business, we decided to improve Ferrari’s overall ICT security situation. To protect our sensitive intellectual property we needed a strong technological partner with a complete, cutting-edge IT security solution. We have chosen Kaspersky Lab for the quality of their endpoint product and because they had special customized options that could be developed specifically to meet our needs. We’re looking forward to further develop our partnership in the technological field and hope that this 5-year deal is just the first stage.”
