U.S. sanctions Kaspersky Lab over links to Russian military

The American financial department announced on Friday sanctions against members of the board and other executives of Kaspersky Lab, the well-known antivirus software manufacturer, due to the company's cooperation with the Russian military and services.

As part of these sanctions, 12 individuals, including directors, board members, and other high-ranking officials in the Russian company and its UK subsidiary, have been restricted.

The department's Deputy Secretary, Brian Nelson, emphasised that this action against Kaspersky Lab's leadership is a demonstration of the USA's commitment to ensuring cybersecurity and protecting citizens from cyber threats.

These sanctions were announced a day after the Department of Commerce issued a final decision banning the provision of services and the sale of Kaspersky Lab products in the United States.

This decision was made following the conclusion of an investigation which found that the company poses "an unacceptable risk to the national security of the USA" and was deemed an entity cooperating with the Russian military and intelligence services.

Both the Russian company and its UK subsidiary have been placed on the so-called blacklist, which practically bans American entities from conducting any business with them.

According to US authorities, Kaspersky Lab's antivirus software provides the company with broad access to files on computers on which it is installed. They claim that the company's being subject to the Russian authorities' "jurisdiction, control, or orders" enables Russian services to access sensitive data, including personal information.

US authorities have had reservations about Kaspersky Lab's programmes for many years. As early as 2017, the Department of Homeland Security introduced a ban on the use of the company's software on official computers throughout the entire federal administration.