The Biden administration will soon announce a ban on Kaspersky antivirus software due to its alleged ties to the Russian government, Reuters reported on June 20, citing a source.
Reuters cited "a person familiar with the matter," who said that Kaspersky's "close ties to the Russian government" pose a critical risk.
The ban will reportedly cover downloads of software updates, resales, and product licensing and will come into force in September.
"The software's privileged access to a computer's systems could allow it to steal sensitive information from American computers, install malware, or withhold critical updates," according to Reuters.
Kaspersky is used by state and local governments in the U.S., as well as providers of critical infrastructure, Reuters said.
The company's CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, was educated at a KGB (Committee for State Security) technical college and went on to work for Russia's military intelligence. The company has repeatedly denied allegations of ties to the Russian government.
Kaspersky describes itself as "the world's largest privately held vendor of internet security solutions for businesses and consumers."
The Biden administration will also add the company to a trade restriction list, "dealing a blow to the firm's reputation that could hammer its overseas sales," Reuters said.
The news comes one week after the U.S. State and Treasury departments issued what they called a "sweeping" set of sanctions against Russia and its financial backers.
More than 300 new sanctions were announced, targeting a range of entities and sectors from Russian natural resources to Russian banks that have relocated abroad.
Nate Ostiller
(Updated: )
