US Bans Kaspersky Antivirus Products Over National Security Concerns
President Joe Biden’s administration has announced a ban on Russia-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky from providing its popular antivirus products in the United States due to national security concerns, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
“Kaspersky will generally no longer be able to, among other activities, sell its software within the United States or provide updates to software already in use,” the department stated.
The decision follows a thorough investigation that found Kaspersky’s operations in the United States posed a national security risk due to the Russian Government’s offensive cyber capabilities and influence over the company.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo emphasized that Russia has demonstrated the intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky Lab to collect and weaponize sensitive US information.
Updated with Kremlin’s comments.
Kaspersky responded to the ban by stating that the decision was based on geopolitical concerns and vowed to pursue legal options to maintain its operations and relationships in the US.
The move marks the first action taken under an executive order issued during Donald Trump’s presidency, granting the Commerce Department authority to investigate companies posing national security risks.
Raimondo highlighted that the Commerce Department’s actions send a clear message to America’s adversaries that the US will act decisively against technologies posing risks to the country and its citizens.
While Kaspersky is headquartered in Moscow, it operates in 31 countries worldwide, serving millions of users and corporate clients. In addition to banning the sale of its antivirus software, the Commerce Department added three entities linked to Kaspersky to a national security concern list.
The Commerce Department encouraged users to switch to alternative vendors but clarified that the ban does not prevent individuals from using Kaspersky software if they choose to do so.
Kaspersky is permitted to continue certain operations in the US, including providing antivirus updates, until September 29 to minimize disruption for consumers and businesses in finding suitable alternatives.
The Kremlin criticized the US decision, labeling it as unfair competition against Kaspersky Lab, which is competitive on an international level, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“This is a favorite method of unfair competition from the part of the United States. They resort to such tactics every time,” Peskov added.
