USA US government bans Russian antivirus software Kaspersky
The US government banned the Russian antivirus software Kaspersky on Thursday, effective July 20. Concerns that the program could be a gateway for Russian secret services led to the ban in the USA.
20.06.2024, 23:43
21.06.2024, 04:12
SDA
An extensive investigation has shown that this is the only way to address national security concerns, a sub-agency of the US Department of Commerce announced on Thursday. Kaspersky denies the allegations and intends to defend itself.
The sale of Kaspersky software to businesses and consumers in the USA will be banned from July 20. From September 29, Kaspersky will also no longer be allowed to install updates - this would render the software largely useless against new threats. From then on, resale will also be prohibited. The transitional period is intended to give customers time to switch to other providers, explained the Office for Industry and Security.
Possible misuse of data
The reason for the ban is the Russian government's cyberattack capabilities and its ability to influence Kaspersky's activities. The company's software is capable of collecting information from US companies and citizens that could be misused by the Russian government, the authority warned. However, consumers and companies will not face any penalties if they continue to use Kaspersky software.
In an initial reaction, Kaspersky announced that it would take legal action to protect its business. It is assumed that the decision was made "based on the current geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns" - and not based on an analysis of the company's software and services. "Kaspersky does not engage in activities that threaten the national security of the United States," it said in a statement on the online platform X.
Difficult position in the West
Kaspersky, once an internationally respected specialist in PC security, has had a difficult time in the West for years. In Germany, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) warns against the use of the software. In the USA, installation on government devices has been banned since 2017.
This was triggered by an episode in which suspected espionage software from the US intelligence agency NSA fell into the hands of Kaspersky. The company explained at the time that the source code had been discovered as a previously unknown variant of malware on a PC and uploaded to a Kaspersky server for analysis.
According to US media reports, an employee of the US interception service had illegally loaded the secret software onto his private computer, which was running Kaspersky's anti-virus software. The company assured that the files had been deleted after an analyst informed company boss Eugene Kaspersky of the discovery. They had not been shared with anyone. In the USA, however, it is assumed that the NSA tools ended up with the Russian secret service.
