US Government Confirms Ban on Russia-Based Cybersecurity Firm Kaspersky

• Russia-based cybersecurity software producer Kaspersky has been banned from providing antivirus services in the US over national security concerns.
• The US hasn't exactly been on the best terms with Russia. So, it feels that Russia might influence Kaspersky to give up the data of US citizens.
• Kaspersky said that although it understands the US's concerns, there's nothing to be actually worried about. It'll continue to pursue legal routes to keep operating in the US.

After hinting at the possibility of a Kaspersky ban in April of this year, the US government has finally banned the Russia-based cybersecurity firm from providing its antivirus services in the entire US over security concerns.

The Commerce Department released a statement saying 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."

For current users of Kaspersky, the company will continue to release updates until this September. This is being done to ensure that the decision is not too disruptive for US consumers and they have enough time to find a new service.

Apart from Kaspersky, three other companies associated with the cybersecurity firm have also been added to a list of companies that are deemed to be a threat to the US's national security. It's believed that these companies might be associated with the Russian military and intelligence authorities.

Although these services aren't banned yet, the Commerce Department highly recommends users switch to other options available on the market.

What Exactly Are the US's Concerns?

The relationship between Russia and the US has not been particularly great for quite a while now, and the US government is worried that Russia might use its influence on Kaspersky to get its hands on the data of US citizens.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo also added that this isn't based on assumption. Russia has in fact shown time and again that it's capable of exploiting Russian companies operating in the US to collect information and weaponize it against its enemy.

It's also well worth noting that the US government's ban on TikTok is also because of security concerns. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is Chinese, and the US fears that Beijing can exploit TikTok's wealth of data, including that of US citizens.

What Does Kaspersky Have to Say?

Kaspersky says it understands why the US had to take such a drastic step-the current political conditions might have sparked concerns that ultimately led to this decision.

However, Kaspersky also added that it doesn't take part in any activity that threatens the security of the US and its citizens. If anything, the company has taken action to protect the US and its interests from enemies.

Kaspersky will not give up easily. It will continue to pursue all possible legal options to ensure it can keep its business in the US. Once again, this is very similar to the above-mentioned TikTok case, where ByteDance and TikTok have filed a lawsuit challenging the ban.

Brief History behind the Kaspersky Ban

The ban on Kaspersky was first announced in April, when the government said that it had its doubts about Kaspersky for a long time. In fact, Kaspersky's products were banned from being used in the federal network way back in 2017.

Just a few weeks after that, a Wall Street Journal report revealed that Russian government hackers were able to steal U.S. classified hacking tools stored on a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor's home computer because it was running on Kaspersky.

Then, just a few days after that, Israeli officials notified the U.S. of the espionage operation after they hacked into Kaspersky's network.

These reports did not help Kaspersky's case. If anything, they fueled concerns against it. This goes on to show that this ban wasn't an overnight decision and that it's completely justified. Years of poor track record have led Kaspersky to this fate.

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