(NationRise.com) – The United States Department of Commerce issued a ban on antivirus programs released by Kaspersky Lab over claims that it’s subject to influence by nefarious Russian hackers.
The Russian company’s subsidiary in the US is prohibited from updating and selling its program until September. Officials with the Commerce Department believed the Russian government could hijack the software in mining the data of American citizens.
That concern continues to grow as tensions build between the US and Russia. Moscow and its allies have repeatedly threatened the United States and other Western countries for helping Ukraine in its war against Russia. Concerns over those threats were elevated after a Russian group took credit for a recent ransomware attack against the Federal Reserve. Russian agents have also been responsible for other cyberattacks against the US and many of its Western allies.
The Commerce Department did include specific provisions in its ban so that operations may continue in the meantime so that users can find alternative antivirus software.
Kaspersky Lab has condemned the ban, arguing that it’s a result of geopolitical tensions rather than a fair investigation of their solutions. However, the Commerce Department maintains its position, stating that Kaspersky’s software poses an “undue” or “unacceptable” national security risk. The Department also highlighted Moscow’s potential to launch massive cyberattacks and their significant influence over Kaspersky Lab’s operations.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added that the firm is required to obey information requests submitted by the Russian government. Additionally, it discovered the company’s capability of using its software to remotely install malware on its users’ devices and selectively decide who gets software updates.
Kaspersky Lab claimed it doesn’t engage in operations that could prove detrimental to the US or its citizens. The company also said that its software and tools have contributed greatly to protecting US national security.
Kaspersky Lab has not announced whether it will attempt to appeal the US government’s decision.
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