Speculation Mounts Over Alleged Kaspersky Son Kidnapping

Thus far, Kaspersky Lab has neither confirmed nor denied rumors that Ivan Kaspersky, son of Russia's premier security tycoon Eugene Kaspersky, had been abducted earlier this week. However, a Kaspersky Lab spokesperson said that Eugene Kaspersky had returned to Moscow.

Kaspersky Lab issued a statement on its Web site, requesting that the media refrain from reporting on unconfirmed rumors and rampant speculation.

"Kaspersky Lab respectfully asks members of the media to refrain from speculating and distribution unconfirmed information about alleged events related to the Kaspersky family. Eugene Kaspersky continues his day-to-day work at the company and has stated that the unconfirmed information being spread at the moment is harmful for the company."

News broke Thursday saying that Ivan Kaspersky had been kidnapped in Mosco on Tuesday while on his way to work at InfoWatch, a firm owned by his mother Natalya, and held for $4.3 million ransom in exchange for his safe return earlier this week.

Life News, the Russian Web site that first published news of the alleged kidnapping, posted another unconfirmed report stating that that Ivan Kaspersky had been released Friday after the ransom was paid.