Kidnapped Kaspersky freed without ransom

Ivan Kaspersky, the son of Russian antivirus king, Eugene Kaspersky, was freed on Sunday from kidnappers who had demanded US$4.3 million for his release.  

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) teamed up with Kaspersky’s security personnel and Moscow Police to secure his release, Kaspersky Labs said in a statement on Sunday. 

“Ivan is alive and well and is currently at a safe location. No ransom was paid during the operation to free him.”

Five people have been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping the 20 year-old, who went missing while on his way to work in Moscow last Tuesday.

Eugene Kaspersky was in London at the time attending the InfoSec conference. 

The kidnappers hoped to pay off a bank loan with the ransom money, according to local reports. 

Investigators reportedly determined Ivan Kaspersky’s holding place after tracing a mobile call made by one of his captors to Eugene.  

Ivan is the son of Eugene and his ex-wife, Natalya Kaspersky, the former CEO of Kaspersky Labs and current chairperson of its board of directors.