PROHIBITION. The Biden government is expected to release as soon as this month an order that will prevent US companies and citizens from using the software of Russia-based Kaspersky Lab due to national security concerns, a news report said. Quoting US officials familiar with the matter, CNN reported that the move aims to mitigate any risks to critical US infrastructure and that the ban would focus on Kaspersky’s anti-virus software. (Photo from TASS)
NEW YORK – The Biden administration is preparing to issue an order that will prevent US companies and citizens from using the software of Russia-headquartered Kaspersky Lab due to national security concerns, CNN reported, citing US officials familiar with the matter.
The move, which is being finalized and could happen as soon as this month, is expected to prohibit Kaspersky from providing certain products and services in the US.
US government agencies are already banned from using Kaspersky software, but action to prevent private companies from using the software would be unprecedented, the TV channel noted.
Among the goals of the order would be to mitigate any risk to critical US infrastructure, the sources familiar with the policy process told CNN. They also admitted that the ban would focus on the firm’s anti-virus software.
More than 400 million people and 240,000 companies worldwide use Kaspersky software products, the TV channel said, adding though that it is not clear how many of those people and companies are in the US.
In March 2022, the US Federal Communications Commission put Kaspersky Lab on the list of firms whose products threaten the country’s security, as the regulator put it.
In turn, the company said it was disappointed with the decision made by the regulator to ban the use of federal subsidies for the acquisition of its products, and suggested that it was politically motivated. (TASS)
