US Government to Completely Ban Kaspersky Security Software, Including Sales and Updates

Many years ago, the US government banned government agencies from using Kaspersky security software from Russia. Now the US government plans to further expand the scope of the ban and completely prevent the use of Kaspersky software in the United States.

The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced in its latest notice that Kaspersky Lab and its US-based subsidiaries and affiliates are prohibited from directly or indirectly providing antivirus software and network security products or services to US citizens.

In addition to the sales ban, existing Kaspersky customers will also be severely impacted, as BIS will block Kaspersky from releasing any software updates and virus database updates.

If Kaspersky is unable to update its virus database, it will be unable to provide sufficient security guarantees, and this measure is intended to force US enterprises and consumers to switch to other antivirus software immediately.

The deadline for blocking updates is September 29, 2024, giving enterprises and consumers three months to switch to other antivirus software. After that, it will be pointless to continue using Kaspersky due to the inability to update its virus database.

The reason for the ban is the same as before: the US government believes that Kaspersky may collect sensitive information from US government agencies, enterprises, and consumers, and therefore must take strong measures to prevent such behavior.

However, the real reason is that Kaspersky is from Russia, which is why it is being treated this way, just like the US government's previous accusations that Kaspersky stole government sensitive information.

At the time, Kaspersky presented evidence showing that it was a US government contractor who violated regulations by bringing sensitive data home and downloading an activation software that triggered Kaspersky's alarm. Kaspersky argued that it was not intentional and did not check the content of the sensitive data, and that the files would be deleted after automated analysis.

Here is the timeline provided by BIS:

• From 12:00 AM Eastern Time on July 20, 2024: Kaspersky is prohibited from entering into any new agreements with US enterprises, including any software or services provided through vendors.
• From 12:00 AM Eastern Time on September 29, 2024: Kaspersky or its agents are prohibited from distributing software or antivirus software updates to customers in the US or on any US person's system, and from continuing to operate the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN).

Kaspersky has also responded:

Kaspersky has learned of the US Department of Commerce's decision to ban the use of Kaspersky software in the US, which will not affect Kaspersky's ability to sell and promote network threat intelligence products in the US.

Although the security of Kaspersky products can be independently verified by trusted third parties, Kaspersky believes that BIS's decision is based on current geopolitical tensions and theoretical concerns, rather than a comprehensive assessment of Kaspersky's products and services.

Kaspersky does not engage in activities that threaten US national security, and in fact, the software has made significant contributions to reporting and protecting the US from various threats.

Kaspersky plans to take all legal and feasible measures to maintain its operations and partnerships in the US.