By The opinion
Jun 21, 2024, 01:12 AM EDT
The United States banned the cybersecurity company Kaspersky, based in Russia, offer its popular antivirus products in the country, the Commerce Department announced.
According to the Secretary of CommerceGina Raimondo, stressed Kaspersky’s risk due to Moscow’s influence, and its intelligence services, about it, and because some of its clients in the US are providers of critical infrastructure and local and state governments.
It should be noted that although the multinational company is headquartered in Moscow, it has offices in 31 countries and provides services to more than 400 million users and 270 thousand corporate clients in more than 200 countries.
Despite this, Raimondo insisted that, “Russia has demonstrated that it has the ability and intention to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans.”
Thus, The cybersecurity company would be added to the list of entities that are prohibited from selling their products or services – under its brand or derivatives – in the United States.
Kaspersky is allowed to continue certain operations in the United States, including antivirus updates, until September 29 of this year, “to minimize disruption to American consumers and businesses and give them time to find suitable alternatives,” the Department added. trade.
Raimondo said American consumers who already use Kaspersky antivirus are not breaking the law.
“American individuals and companies that continue to use or have Kaspersky products and services are not breaking the law, have done nothing wrong, and are not subject to any criminal or civil penalties,” Raimondo said. “However, I would encourage you in the strongest possible terms to stop using that software immediately and switch to an alternative to protect yourself, your data, and your family.”
In response, Kaspersky said that it “believes that The Commerce Department made its decision based on the current geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns, rather than a comprehensive assessment of the integrity of Kaspersky products and services.”
“Kaspersky does not engage in activities that threaten the national security of the United States and, in fact, has made significant contributions with its reporting and protection against a variety of threat actors that targeted US interests and allies,” he insisted.
The company’s statement goes on to say that the ban threatens to undermine cybersecurity across the industry. “The main impact of these measures will be the benefit they provide to cybercrime. “International cooperation between cybersecurity experts is crucial in the fight against malware, and yet this will constrain those efforts,” Kaspersky said. “Furthermore, it takes away the freedom that consumers and organizations, large and small, should have to use the protection they want.”
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