US Bans Sale of Russian Antivirus Software
Washington: The United States has decided to ban the sale of antivirus software created by the Moscow-based cybersecurity company Kaspersky. According to an international news agency report, the US Department of Commerce stated that the company’s operations pose a national security threat due to “the Russian government’s aggressive cyber capabilities and its potential to influence or direct Kaspersky’s operations.”
The department noted that the Russian company will no longer be able to sell its software in the US nor will it be permitted to provide updates for software already in use. The US Department of Commerce advised the wide array of personal and professional users of Kaspersky’s antivirus software to seek alternatives due to the associated risks.
The US Secretary of Commerce said, “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect American national security and the American people.” Russia has repeatedly demonstrated its ability and intention to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky Lab to gather and weaponize sensitive American information.
It should be noted that Kaspersky’s software is designed to protect users from trojan horses, spyware and other cyber threats. The sale of Kaspersky software in the US will be banned from July 20 and the multinational Russian company will be allowed to provide software updates to existing customers until September 29.
