Kaspersky Antivirus Sales To Be Banned In The US Over Russia Ties: Here's What We Need To Know

Kaspersky has maintained its status as a privately operated entity with no official ties to the Russian government.

The Joe Biden administration on Thursday announced plans to prohibit the sale of antivirus software produced by Russia's Kaspersky Lab within the United States. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo emphasised concerns over Russia's potential influence on the company, citing substantial security risks posed by its software, reported Reuters. During a briefing with reporters, Raimondo highlighted the privileged access Kaspersky's software has to computer systems, raising fears that it could compromise sensitive American data or facilitate malware deployment by withholding crucial updates.

"Russia has shown it has the capacity and ... the intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponise the personal information of Americans and that is why we are compelled to take the action that we are taking today," Raimondo stated.

How Did Kaspersky React?

Kaspersky Lab responded, expressing disappointment in the decision, attributing it to geopolitical tensions rather than a thorough evaluation of its product integrity. The company affirmed its activities posed no threat to US national security and indicated plans to explore legal options to protect its operations.

The Russian Embassy did not comment immediately on the development, as per Reuters. Previously, Kaspersky has maintained its status as a privately operated entity with no official ties to the Russian government.

Under the new rule, authorised by powers established during the Trump administration, three units of Kaspersky Lab will be added to a trade restriction list. This decision, according to Raimondo, could significantly impact Kaspersky's global sales and reputation.

Mitigate Potential Cybersecurity Threats

The Biden administration's actions underscore its efforts to mitigate potential cybersecurity threats emanating from Russian technology firms, particularly amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions and Russia's military actions in Ukraine. This move also reflects the administration's use of expanded authority to regulate transactions involving US firms and technology companies from adversarial nations like Russia and China.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, voiced support for the decision, emphasising the critical need to safeguard US networks from potential adversaries. "We would never give an adversarial nation the keys to our networks or devices, so it's crazy to think that we would continue to allow Russian software with the deepest possible device access to be sold to Americans," Warner asserted.

Ban To Start On September 29

Effective September 29, the new restrictions will prohibit the sale, downloads of updates, resales, and licensing of Kaspersky software in the US, allowing businesses a 100-day transition period to find alternative solutions. Thirty days after the announcement, new US transactions with Kaspersky will be blocked.

Additionally, the Commerce Department will entity list two Russian units and one UK-based unit of Kaspersky Lab for their alleged involvement in supporting Russian military intelligence's cyber intelligence objectives.

These measures add to existing export restrictions imposed on Kaspersky Lab's Russian operations due to Moscow's actions in Ukraine. The updated restrictions will further prevent the UK-based unit from receiving goods from American suppliers.