the government also asks Americans who are using Kaspersky antivirus software not to switch to other providers due to security issues.
Kaspersky Lab is a giant Russian cybersecurity company that produces anti-virus solutions. The tech company was founded in 1997, with Eugene Kaspersky being its CEO. The company is well-known for its antivirus technology, having its headquarters situated in Moscow, Russia, operating with a holding company from London. The company presents some serious issues when it comes to its security and the security of its users.
Even more so, the Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security reported that they have concerns regarding Kaspersky’s privacy policy, given that the company is situated in Russia.
Gina Raimondo, US Commerce Secretary, said about the tech company that “Russia has shown it has the capacity, and even more than that, the intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans. And that’s why we are compelled to take the action that we’re taking today,”.
This led to the impossibility of selling the software in America starting on July 20th. It is also worth mentioning that consumers who are already using Kaspersky’s software solutions will also need to find new providers, as the Russian company will be able to supply responses and updates to its users until September 29th. After this period, Kaspersky no longer had the ability to dispose of solutions for US customers.
The US Commerce Secretary also reported, “That means your software and services will degrade. That’s why I strongly recommend that you immediately find an alternative to Kaspersky”.
And that “U.S. individuals and businesses that continue to use or have existing Kaspersky products and services are not in violation of the law, you have done nothing wrong and you are not subject to any criminal or civil penalties,” said the Commerce secretary “However, I would encourage you in the strongest possible terms, to immediately stop using that software and switch to an alternative in order to protect yourself and your data and your family.”.
The cybersecurity company was banned from integration into government use in September 2017, when data was stolen from the government due to Kaspersky antivirus software. This decision came as a result of that incident. The number of users from the US is unknown, however, it represents a serious number to the company’s infrastructure.
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