Kaspersky Lab North America to Support High School Team in FIRST® Robotics Competition

Woburn, MA – March 20, 2017 – Kaspersky Lab North America today announced its sponsorship of The Windham Windup -- Team 3467 in the FIRST® Robotics Competition, an international high school robotics competition. Kaspersky Lab remains committed to supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education initiatives worldwide, and the company is sponsoring this FIRST team for the second year in a row.

The Kaspersky-backed team consists of nearly 50 students from New Hampshire, who gather to build and program industrial-sized robots during a six-week span. Throughout the FIRST competition, more than 3,000 student teams from 25 countries will develop robots while raising funds, designing a team brand and refining teamwork skills. Finalists will present their innovations during two championship events in April.

“STEM education is vital to the future of our country and our children, and students should be encouraged to get involved at a young age,” said Angelo Gentile, executive vice president, finance and operations, Kaspersky Lab North America. “We’re proud to continue supporting The Windham Windup team for the second year in a row, as the FIRST competition is a great way to help inspire the next generation of innovators.”

As part of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, Kaspersky Lab supports a number of education programs worldwide, including The Kaspersky Academy Talent Lab, an international research contest for undergraduate students and young professionals aged 18 to 30, and Kaspersky Cyberheroes, a tournament for students in grades 8 through 11. Kaspersky Lab has also partnered with the World Chess Federation and World Chess to protect competitors in and the infrastructure of the tournament, along with offering cybersecurity training for players. In North America, the company regularly works with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to host interactive trainings, such as the most recent “Think Security” seminar on critical infrastructure cybersecurity.

For more information on FIRST, please visit http://www.firstinspires.org.

About FIRST®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $50 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. for Grades K-4. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org

About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company founded in 1997. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and se±rvices to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.

Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

Media Contact:
Jessica Bettencourt
781.503.1836
Jessica.Bettencourt@kaspersky.com