The US Department of Homeland Security (US Dept. of Homeland Security or DHS) issued a binding directive to all federal agencies, requiring them to stop using Kaspersky software within 90 days due to concerns about the Russian company's ties to the Kremlin.
In a statement, DHS is giving federal agencies 30 days to identify them products of Kaspersky Lab in their networks and to remove them in the next 60 days.
"THE energy αυτή βασίζεται στους κινδύνους ασφάλειας των πληροφοριών που παρουσιάζονται από τη χρήση των προϊόντων Kaspersky σε ομοσπονδιακά συστήματα", δήλωσε το DHS.
"The company's products and Kaspersky Anti-Virus provide widespread file access with elevated privileges to the computers on which the software is installed, which malicious users can exploit to compromise those systems."
According to DHS, there are regulations under Russian law that allow Russian intelligence services to request or force Kaspersky Lab to access communications via Russian networks.
"The risk is that the Russian government, either alone or in cooperation with Kaspersky, could leverage the access provided by Kaspersky Lab products to breach federal information systems, which directly affects US national security." .
DHS will allow Kaspersky to file a written request for any objections, and the Reuters reports that Kaspersky has already rejected the claims they imply espionage.
"There is no credible evidence publicly presented by any organization, and the accusations are based on false claims and inaccurate assumptions," Kaspersky Lab said.
In July, the Trump administration has withdrawn Kaspersky Lab from two approved lists sellers who used government services to purchase technology equipment.
Reuters then said that Kaspersky's products were removed from the GSA's list of suppliers for contracts covering information technology services and digital photo equipment.
However, according to the guidelines, government agencies were still able to use Kaspersky's products purchased separately from the GSA procurement process.
The Department's move comes after allegations by US intelligence agencies that Russia managed to hack into Democratic Party emails, helping Donald Trump win the election, despite President Vladimir Putin declaring that his country did not has ever engaged in hacking activities, but some "patriots."
Speaking with reporters in Sydney in June, Eugene Kaspersky said he would not be surprised to learn that there was a Russian intervention in the recent US elections.
"Δεν προκαλεί έκπληξη αν υπήρχε παρέμβαση από Ρώσους hackers, δυστυχώς δεν έχω δεδομένα επειδή δεν συμμετείχαμε στην research", δήλωσε ο επικεφαλής της Kaspersky Lab.
