The Biden administration announced on Thursday that it would ban the sale of software in the U.S. built by Russian antivirus vendor Kaspersky Lab, citing longstanding concerns that the firm poses a significant national security threat.
“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,” stated a Commerce Department announcement.
The decision followed a comprehensive investigation which concluded that Kaspersky’s continued operations in the United States posed a national security risk due to the Russian government’s offensive cyber capabilities and potential influence over the company’s operations.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo emphasized, “Russia has shown time and again they have the capability and intent to exploit Russian companies, like Kaspersky Lab, to collect and weaponize sensitive US information.”
Kaspersky, in a statement to AFP, criticized the Commerce Department’s decision as being 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 which threaten US national security and, in fact, has made significant contributions with its reporting and protection from a variety of threat actors that targeted US interests and allies,” the company asserted.
This move marks the first action of its kind since an executive order issued under former President Donald Trump granted the Commerce Department the authority to investigate whether certain companies pose a national security risk. Raimondo stressed that the department’s actions signal to America’s adversaries that the U.S. will act decisively when foreign technology poses a risk to national security.
While Kaspersky is headquartered in Moscow, it operates offices in 31 countries and serves over 400 million users and 270,000 corporate clients in more than 200 countries, according to the Commerce Department.
In addition to banning the sale of Kaspersky’s antivirus software, the Commerce Department added three entities associated with the firm to a list of companies deemed national security concerns. These entities were cited for their cooperation with Russian military and intelligence authorities in support of the Russian government’s cyber intelligence objectives.
The Commerce Department strongly encouraged current users to switch to new vendors, although the decision does not outright ban them from continuing to use the software if they choose. Kaspersky is permitted to continue certain operations in the U.S., including providing antivirus updates, until September 29 of this year. This grace period is intended to minimize disruption to U.S. consumers and businesses and to allow them time to find suitable alternatives.
