British spies have been citing a controversial security company, which is run by a former KGB-trained intelligence expert, to help warn the public about cyber and hacking attacks.

GCHQ, the UK’s frontline in cyber defence, has five times in the last year published “threat alerts” based on Moscow-headquartered agency, Kaspersky Lab.

Last week Kaspersky Lab faced claims that its software maybe being used by the Kremlin to spy on British banking customers.

Yet, as recently as November 10th, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, which is part of GCHQ, issued a threat alert citing Kaspersky research about the dangers of using dating apps.

And in August it issued another alert citing a Kaspersky report into cyber attacks involving hidden data in digital photos and videos.

On three previous occasions in the last year Kaspersky was cited by NCSC in its alerts. UK and US security chiefs have been concerned about Kaspersky Lab amid fears it may have been compromised by Vladimir Putin’s Federal Security Service.

Last night Professor Anthony Glees, a national security expert at the University of Buckingham, said he found the NCSC’s reference to the Kaspersky material “totally baffling.”