Kaspersky Lab, Inc. Faces US Government Ban
Kaspersky Lab, Inc, the US subsidiary of the popular Russia-based antivirus software and cybersecurity company Kaspersky, has just felt the wrath of the US government. The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced on Thursday that it will be banning Kaspersky from “directly or indirectly providing antivirus software and cybersecurity products or services in the United States or to US persons.”
The ban doesn’t just apply to the sale of Kaspersky products, but also means that US customers will not receive updates to existing versions of Kaspersky software in general (via Bleeping Computer). Any US customers affected will need to switch to alternative antivirus and security software to stay protected from future threats.
Kaspersky has repeatedly been accused of ties with the Russian government, allegations that it has strongly denied. In September 2017, the US federal government ordered government agencies to remove any Kaspersky Lab products from their internal systems, while the UK National Cyber Security Centre had previously warned UK government departments to avoid using any Russian-based antivirus software, citing similar concerns.
Significant Escalation in US Ban
This, however, is a significant escalation, and a nationwide US ban on products for consumer use is a mark against any company’s international reputation. While Kaspersky’s AV has long been lauded as an effective antivirus solution—and often performs extremely well in independent testing—these latest developments are likely to shake confidence in the software for users worldwide.
