Russian cybersecurity software company Kaspersky’s days of operating in the United States are officially numbered.
The Biden administration said on Thursday that banning the company Banned from selling its products to new US customers starting July 20, the company is only allowed to provide software updates to existing customers until September 29. The ban – the first such action under powers granted to the Commerce Department in 2019 – Years of warnings Kaspersky had faced complaints from the US intelligence community that it posed a threat to national security because Moscow could allegedly use its ubiquitous antivirus software to spy on its customers.
“When you think of national security, you might think of guns, tanks and missiles,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters during a briefing Thursday. “But the truth is, it’s increasingly about technology, and it’s about dual-use technology, and it’s about data.”
Raimondo said the US investigated Kaspersky “extremely thoroughly” and considered “every option” to mitigate its risks, but officials agreed. Complete ban “Given the Russian government’s continued offensive cyber capabilities and their potential to impact Kaspersky’s operations.”
The ban on Kaspersky reflects the latest rift in relations between the United States and Russia. Russia Since this country is still caught in a brutal war with Russia. Ukraine and takes other steps to threaten Western democracies, including Test of nuclear powered anti-satellite weapon and forming a strategic alliance North KoreaBut the ban could also immediately complicate business operations for US companies that use Kaspersky software, as they will lose updated antivirus definitions critical to preventing malware in just three months.
The Biden administration knows roughly how many customers Kaspersky has in the U.S., but government lawyers have determined that the information is proprietary business data and cannot be published, according to a Commerce Department official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. A “substantial number” of U.S. customers include state and local governments and organizations that supply critical infrastructure such as telecommunications, power and health care, the official said.
Raimondo had a message for Kaspersky’s U.S. customers on Thursday: “You have done nothing wrong, and you are not subject to any criminal or civil penalties. However, I would encourage you in the strongest terms possible to immediately stop using that software and use another software to protect yourself and your data and your family.”
Raimondo said the Commerce Department would work with the Homeland Security and Justice departments to “get this message out” and “ensure a smooth transition,” including by creating a website explaining the ban. “We certainly don’t want to disrupt any Americans’ businesses or families.”
The Commerce Department official said DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would contact critical infrastructure organizations that use Kaspersky to inform them of the alleged national security risks and “help them identify alternatives.”
Kaspersky has consistently denied being a threat to national security or an agent of the Kremlin. In a statement to WIRED, the company accused the government of making its decision “based on the current geopolitical climate and ideological concerns rather than a comprehensive evaluation of the integrity of Kaspersky’s products and services.”
