Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- The Biden administration plans to ban Kaspersky Lab from selling products in the U.S. due to security concerns and ties to Russia.
- Russia is accused of exploiting Kaspersky to collect and weaponize personal information.
U.S. to ban Kaspersky cybersecurity products over security concerns – National | Globalnews.ca
The Biden administration has made the decision to ban cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab from selling products in the United States over concerns that the firm is closely tied to Russia and poses a security risk. This move comes amidst ongoing pressure on Moscow and as the Russian war against Ukraine escalates.
The ban, which is set to take effect on September 29, will block any new Kaspersky business 30 days after that. Sanctions will also be imposed on 12 senior leaders at the company, preventing them from owning property or entities in the U.S. and engaging in business within the country.
Kaspersky, however, has refuted the U.S. Commerce Department’s decision, claiming that it is based on theoretical concerns rather than a comprehensive evaluation of the integrity of the company’s products and services. The company insists that it does not engage in activities that threaten U.S. national security.
In response, a Kremlin spokesperson criticized the U.S. decision, accusing it of unfair competition tactics. The Department of Homeland Security had previously banned Kaspersky’s flagship antivirus product from federal networks in 2017, citing alleged ties to Russian intelligence.
Despite this, the Canadian government had also banned Kaspersky applications from government mobile devices in October 2023, highlighting the global concern over cybersecurity risks posed by certain companies.
Experts in cybersecurity stress the importance of evaluating the risks associated with using systems that can be accessed or influenced by foreign governments. The U.S. measures against Kaspersky reflect the increasing focus on cybersecurity threats in the current geopolitical climate.
