Kaspersky's Distributor Dicker Data Ends Distribution Contract Amid Russia Ukraine War

The Aussie tech company named Dicker Data's partnership with Kaspersky will come to an end next month amid growing global sanctions on Russia.

Kaspersky's Distributor Dicker Data Ends Distribution Contract/Getty

New Delhi: Russian multinational cybersecurity company Kaspersky's distributor, an Australian tech firm, has pulled the plug on the distribution contract with the cybersecurity company amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Aussie tech company named Dicker Data's partnership with Kaspersky will come to an end next month amid growing global sanctions on Russia, the media has reported.

The CEO of Dicker Data Ltd, David Dicker was quoted as saying by The Australian Financial Review that the decision was taken out of a belief that Western nations have a responsibility to act, and because the company chief operating officer (COO) Vladimir Mitnovetski is Ukrainian so Dicker Data is therefore directly impacted by the illegal invasion. 

“The Western guys have a responsibility to act. It’s hard on the Russian guys we dealt with ... [But] Vlad is Ukrainian, and we’re much more closely affected by that. Even if we weren’t, sometimes you just need to do things," Dicker was quoted as saying in a statement.

One of the world’s largest privately-owned cybersecurity companies, Kaspersky was founded in Moscow in 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky, Natalya Kaspersky, and Alexey De-Monderik. Kaspersky remains the CEO, and while the company is now a multinational, it maintains a large workforce in Russia, The Australian Financial Review report mentioned.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Russian cybersecurity firm read: “We thank the whole Dicker Data team for all their hard work, dedication and support over the past three years and we wish them well."

“Kaspersky is focused on its mission to build a safer world. Our business operations remain stable and we guarantee the fulfilment of our obligations to partners -- including product delivery and support and financial transaction continuity,” the statement concluded.