U.S. bans Kaspersky antivirus over national security concerns
The United States government has decided to ban the sale of Kaspersky antivirus in the country. This is the first such case in U.S. history. Government officials argue, however, that this software poses a serious threat to the United States' national security.
On Thursday, June 20, 2024, the U.S. government officially announced the decision to ban the sale of Kaspersky antivirus software. It simultaneously urged citizens to change their antivirus software provider, emphasizing that national security is a priority.
Serious threat to national security
The U.S. Department of Commerce justified its decision by stating that Kaspersky, due to its Russian origin, poses a threat to national security and user privacy.
"Russia has shown it has the capacity — and even more than that, the intent — to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans, and that’s why we are compelled to take the action we are taking today," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo during a conversation with reporters, as reported by TechCrunch.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal from April 2023, the decision to impose the ban was considered last year. Despite a massive base of over 400 million individual users and more than 240,000 corporate clients worldwide, Kaspersky is facing the challenge of losing a significant market in the U.S., where it has many clients, including critical infrastructure organisations and local government units.
Ban on sales
The ban on the sale of Kaspersky antivirus will take effect on 20 July 2024. This means that after this date, Kaspersky will be unable to sell its software to American consumers and businesses. However, the company can still provide software and security updates to existing clients until 29 September.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation, noted: "That means your software and services will degrade. That’s why I strongly recommend that you immediately find an alternative to Kaspersky."
Despite the ban, American users of Kaspersky software are not breaking the law. However, the Department of Commerce recommends immediately discontinuing this software. To inform consumers the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice are tasked with informing American consumers, and the government will also launch a special website.
The decision to ban the sale of Kaspersky antivirus software is the latest step in a long series of actions by the U.S. government against the Moscow-based company. As early as September 2017, the Trump administration banned federal agencies from using Kaspersky software, fearing that Russian intelligence agencies could use the company's software.
