President Joe Biden’s administration banned the Russia-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky from providing its popular antivirus products in the United States due to national security concerns, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
“Kaspersky will generally no longer be able to, among other activities, sell its software within the United States or provide updates to software already in use,” the department stated.
This decision follows a lengthy investigation which concluded that Kaspersky’s continued operations in the U.S. posed a national security risk, given the Russian government’s offensive cyber capabilities and potential influence over the company.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo noted that “Russia has repeatedly demonstrated the capability and intent to exploit Russian companies, such as Kaspersky Lab, to gather and weaponize sensitive U.S. information.”
In a statement to AFP, Kaspersky argued that the U.S. Commerce Department’s decision was based on the current geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns. The company vowed to “pursue all legally available options to preserve its current operations and relationships.”
“Kaspersky does not engage in activities that threaten U.S. national security and has, in fact, made significant contributions through its reporting and protection against various threat actors targeting U.S. interests and allies,” the company asserted.
This ban is the first such action since an executive order from Donald Trump’s presidency empowered the Commerce Department to investigate companies for potential national security risks.
Raimondo emphasized that the Commerce Department’s actions send a clear message to America’s adversaries: the U.S. will not hesitate to act when technology poses a risk to the country and its citizens.
