Kaspersky Lab North America to Sponsor High School Team in FIRST® Robotics Competition for Third Consecutive Year

Woburn, MA – March 1, 2018 – Kaspersky Lab North America today announced it will sponsor The Windham Windup -- Team 3467 in the FIRST^® Robotics Competition, an international high school robotics competition for participants aged 14-18. As a company committed to supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education initiatives worldwide, this is the third consecutive year that Kaspersky Lab North America is sponsoring Team 3467, which consists of more than 35 students based in Windham, New Hampshire.

The FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. During the competition, teams of 10 students or more are challenged to design a team brand, enhance teamwork skills as well as build and program a 120-pound robot to perform tasks against a field of competitors. This year’s FIRST competition will feature more than 3,600 student teams from 25 countries, and finalists will present their innovations during two championship events in April.

“With youth making their career choices at a young age, programs like the FIRST Robotics Competition are critical to addressing the growing skills shortage in the IT security industry, as well as inspiring the next generation of innovators,” said Todd Helmbrecht, senior vice president of marketing, Kaspersky Lab North America. “We’re extremely proud to once again sponsor The Windham Windup in the FIRST Robotics Competition and wish them the best of luck in their journey.”

Education is also supported through the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives through programs like Kaspersky Academy, tailored for young talent in IT security, and the Green Bear World Tour, which brings Midori Kuma, Kaspersky Lab’s esteemed green bear, into local schools and libraries to teach youth about cybersecurity. Additionally, the company regularly works with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to host interactive trainings, such as the annual “Think Security” seminars on critical infrastructure cybersecurity.

For more information on FIRST, please visit http://www.firstinspires.org. To aid in supporting The Windham Windup -- Team 3467, go to http://www.team3467.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, which has been operating in the market for over 20 years. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into next generation 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 services 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
781.503.7851
Jessica.Bettencourt@kaspersky.com