Russian Antivirus Provider Kaspersky Lab Pulls Out of the US Market
Russian antivirus provider Kaspersky Lab has announced plans to leave the US market owing to the Biden administration’s ban on the sales and distribution of the firm’s software. Find out more about the decision and its implications for users.
- Russian cybersecurity vendor Kaspersky has announced its exit from the US market following a ban by the Commerce Department.
- The Commerce Department stated that Kaspersky’s US operations could bolster the Russian government’s cyber-offensive capabilities.
Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky is set to leave the US market, laying off dozens of workers there. The move follows a US government ban on selling and distributing the company’s software. The company is set to start winding down operations on July 20, when the ban comes into effect.
The US Commerce Department announced the ban, citing privacy and security concerns as the company is headquartered in Russia. The company had initially planned to challenge the ban in court, stating that its operations did not affect national security in the US. However, the new decision indicates a change in the company’s perspective. In addition, the US Treasury Department has sanctioned several senior company executives. The sanctions bar US customers from conducting transactions with Kaspersky.
See More: Over 50% of Employees Fear Reporting Cybersecurity Mistakes Finds ThinkCyber Study
Once the ban comes into effect, Kaspersky will be unable to sell its products to US customers directly or even through resellers, many of whom have criticized the ban for adversely affecting their businesses. Furthermore, existing customers will be unable to get security updates, which is expected to reduce protection from antivirus software.
The US government has taken action against Kaspersky since 2017 under the Trump and Biden administrations. Initially, the ban affected only federal government agencies after Russian nation-state actors stole classified information on a Kaspersky software system. The expanded ban effectively bars the use of the company’s products across all US systems.
As a parting gift to its US customers, Kaspersky has announced that it would offer its security products for free for the next six months, in addition to security recommendations, including reminders for data backups, changing passwords, and more. With the ban in the US and increased pressure from the EU, Kaspersky has been forced to look for customers in other regions, particularly in South America and Asia, for the foreseeable future.
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