The US government prohibits the sale of Kaspersky security software

Sales of software by Russian security giant Kaspersky Lab will be banned in the US, the Biden administration said.

Kaspersky Labs was widely known as a major player in the cyber security industry, leading the way in the consumer and business markets.

However, since Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the wider war between Ukraine and Russia, Kaspersky has increasingly lost its reputation in the West, amid fears that the company could pass sensitive information to intelligence services russian

Real or geopolitical concerns?

Among the main concerns cited by the Biden administration are the privileged levels of access granted to Kaspersky solutions that could be used to commit sabotage and espionage against Western computer systems, especially as some Kaspersky solutions are used to protect critical infrastructure both locally, as well as at the state level. levels.

Speaking about the announcement, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said: “Russia has demonstrated that it has the ability and … intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize Americans’ personal information, and that is why we are compelled to take action on which we take today.”

Kaspersky responded to the announcement by stating that the company does not pose a threat to US national security and that the company will pursue legal avenues to continue operating in the US.

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said: “We will never give an adversary nation the keys to our networks or devices, so it is crazy to think that we will continue to allow Russian software with the deepest possible access to devices. sold to Americans”.

The ban will take effect on September 29, and from this date downloading, updating, licensing and reselling Kaspersky products will be prohibited. Products that integrate Kaspersky software will also be banned. This deadline gives companies the opportunity to find alternative solutions, so it might be worth taking a look at the best firewall for SMBs or the best VPNs for business.

The US has made a series of allegations against Kaspersky’s ties to Russian intelligence, including allegations that Kaspersky Lab passed hacking tools to the Russian government after stealing them from a US National Security Agency worker.

Via Reuters

More from TechRadar Pro