US sanctions Kaspersky Lab executives for ‘collaborating’ with Russian intelligence agency

“Today’s action against Kaspersky Lab’s leadership underscores our commitment to ensuring the integrity of our cyber domain and protecting our citizens from malicious cyber threats,” Brian E. Nelson, the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement. statementThe restrictions make it difficult for these individuals to start a business in the United States. TechCrunch notesCEO and founder Eugene Kaspersky is not named on the list of sanctioned individuals, nor is the company itself sanctioned.

On Thursday, the Commerce Department banned Kaspersky from doing new business in the US. The ban also prevents existing users of Kaspersky’s antivirus software from downloading software updates. Those using Kaspersky’s software have until September 29 to find alternatives. Press releaseThe Commerce Department urged anyone using Kaspersky software to “quickly transition to new vendors to limit the exposure of personal or other sensitive data to malicious actors due to a potential lack of cybersecurity coverage.”

Individuals sanctioned by the Treasury Department include members of the board of directors of Kaspersky Lab and Kaspersky Group. The Commerce Department placed Kaspersky’s US, Russian, and United Kingdom operations on its Entity List due to their cooperation with Russian military and intelligence officials in support of the Russian government’s cyber intelligence objectives.

In 2017, The Wall Street Journal informed of Russia has stolen confidential information from the personal computer of a government contractor. The contractor, who was working with the National Security Agency, had improperly stored the files on his personal computer, which had Kaspersky’s antivirus software installed on it. Statement the new York TimesKaspersky denied any involvement or knowledge of the incident. Later that year, the Department of Homeland Security refused All federal agencies were barred from using Kaspersky products on government servers.