Priya Patel
TLDR:
– The U.S. Commerce Department has banned the use of Kaspersky software in the United States.
– Kaspersky denies being a security threat and states that the decision was based on geopolitical concerns.
The cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, based in Moscow, recently faced a ban from the U.S. Commerce Department on the use of its software in the country. Despite this, Kaspersky has firmly denied being a security threat, emphasizing that the government’s decision was made based on geopolitical concerns rather than verified risks. The Commerce Department argued that Kaspersky’s Russian connections could pose a risk to U.S. national security and safety. The company’s CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, is a Russian citizen subject to Russian laws.
Kaspersky further explained that, while they are obligated to abide by Russian laws, their operations and employees in Russia can only access aggregated data, not sensitive information on U.S. citizens. The company expressed concern that the ban could benefit cybercrime and limit the freedom of consumers and organizations to choose their preferred cybersecurity protection. Despite this setback, Kaspersky highlighted its commitment to defending itself against actions that could harm its reputation and commercial interests.
