The Biden administration has taken sweeping action to prevent Kaspersky Labs from selling its antivirus products to customers in the United States. The Russian software company will not be able to sell to new customers starting in July and will not be able to provide service to existing customers after September.
A source said before the official news The company’s connections to the Russian government made it a security risk with the potential to install malware, collect privileged information, or block software updates on American computers. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced the ban in a press conference today.
She added: “You have done nothing wrong, and you are not subject to any criminal or civil penalties.” For existing Kaspersky customers. “However, I would encourage you, in the strongest possible terms, to immediately stop using this software and switch to an alternative in order to protect yourself, your data, and your family.”
The Russian company has been the subject of cybersecurity questions several times over the years. Federal Communications Commission of companies that pose unacceptable security risks in 2022. In 2017, Kaspersky products were The company was also audited by .
This level of presidential order to block or restrict access to technology and software from countries deemed foreign adversaries dates back to the Trump administration. In 2020, he made an effort to ban TikTok and WeChat on the grounds that Chinese-owned apps could pose a security risk. this work In 2021, but it sparked a review of applications that reached its peak In April, this could force TikTok to find a new owner to continue operating in the US.