The Trump Administration has given a directive to halt the usage of Kaspersky Lab products by federal agencies. This move came as a result of growing concern that the Moscow-based cyber security company may be under influence from the Russian Government. Fears have emerged that continued usage of Kaspersky Lab security software may indeed be a threat to national security.
Last year, suspicion arose regarding the degree to which Russia may have influenced the outcome of the US presidential election. It was feared that Russia may have turned to cyberwarfare in an attempt to sabotage the democratic process. Much is yet to be ascertained as the issue is still under investigation. These circumstances may have largely contributed to the decision to rid the networks of Kaspersky Software.
Kaspersky Lab has been quick to deny the allegations. In a recent statement, the company said that there was no conclusive evidence that had been presented to support the claims. They further added that the Russian data laws were being falsely interpreted and that the allegations were based on mere assumptions.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has since ordered the identification of all Kaspersky Lab products in federal agencies within a period of 30 days. The use of the software must then be terminated within 90 days. The directive only targets civilian federal agencies. Earlier on, US intelligence officials had made it clear that Kaspersky products had never been in use in any Military organization.
According to the DHS, there are provisions in Russian law that permit Russian Intelligence services and other government organizations to obtain any information that traverses Russian networks. These agencies can, therefore, obtain information from Kaspersky Lab whether by request or by coercion. The DHS stated that the possibility that the Russian Government may use this influence to obtain classified federal information could not be overlooked.
The department has given the software company a specific time frame to present a written response to counter the claims. Other organizations that may be financially affected by this directive are welcome to submit theirs as well. In the recent past, Kaspersky Lab has refuted similar accusations over and over again. They reiterated that they would never permit the company’s resources to be used by any organization as tools of espionage. Despite this, they have been unable to eliminate the misgivings surrounding them. A few days ago, Best Buy, the renown American electronics company, stated that it would withdraw all Kaspersky Lab products from its stores and networks.
