INFRA
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Trump administration bans Kaspersky software over Russian security ties
Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab will no longer be able to provide services to most U.S. government agencies after the firm was removed from two lists of approved vendors following allegations that the company was linked to Russian security services.
The ban, first proposed in Congress in June, instead came directly from the Trump administration after a review by the White House, the General Services Administration and intelligence agencies. Kaspersky has been removed from the GSA’s Schedule 70 approved vendors list along with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Enterprise-Wide Procurement contract vehicle.
“GSA’s priorities are to ensure the integrity and security of U.S. government systems and networks and evaluate products and services available on our contracts using supply chain risk management processes,” a spokesman for GSA told Politico.
Kaspersky said in a separate statement that the company had not been informed of the ban by GSA or NASA. “Kaspersky Lab has no ties to any government and the company has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyberespionage efforts,” the company said. It also claimed that it had been “caught in the middle of a geopolitical fight where each side is attempting to use the company as a pawn in their political game.”
Company founder Eugene Kaspersky (pictured, left) has previously offered to testify before Congress and provide the company’s source code to government officials to prove that his self-named company has no links to Russian security agencies. Kaspersky’s denials have been disputed, however.
A Bloomberg story July 11 reported on internal company emails that show that Kaspersky has designed cybersecurity software for Russian law enforcement agencies along with providing personnel to accompany Russian intelligence and police on raids and arrests. Kaspersky didn’t dispute that account, saying that sometimes employees “might ride along to examine any digital evidence found, but that is the extent of our participation” with Russian security forces.
Government agencies can still purchase software from Kaspersky outside of GSA contracts. But given the ban at the top, the general theme is that they would be discouraged to do so.
Photo: itupictures/Flickr
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