TECH NEWS – It is not only China, but also Russia, where the relationship between the country and the United States is very bad, and Kaspersky Labs is a victim of this.

In June, the Biden administration banned the sale of Kaspersky’s software because of its alleged ties to the Kremlin. A Kaspersky spokesman told the BBC that it was a sad and difficult decision, but that it was no longer worth their while to stay in the country because the business opportunities were so limited. In June, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Moscow’s influence posed a risk to U.S. infrastructure:

“Russia has shown that it has the ability – and more than that, the intent – to use Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize Americans’ personal information. When Americans have software from companies owned or controlled by countries of concern – like Russia, like China – integrated into their systems … those countries can use their authority over those companies to misuse that software to access and potentially exploit sensitive U.S. technology and data,” Raimondo said. They can no longer sell or update their software after September 29, and the day after the ban, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a dozen Kaspersky executives, though co-founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky is not among them.

Kaspersky Labs initially said it would try to defend itself in court, but that appears to have failed, according to a statement sent to Zero Day: “Effective July 20, 2024, Kaspersky will gradually wind down its US operations and eliminate US-based positions. This decision and process follows the final determination by the U.S. Department of Commerce to prohibit the sale and distribution of Kaspersky products in the U.S.”.

The US Department of Homeland Security banned federal agencies from using Kaspersky software in 2017, followed by the US military in 2018. The Russian company was founded in 1999 and has been operating in the US since 2005. The company, which is headquartered in Moscow, says its antivirus software has more than 400 million users. The U.S. departure will mean workers in the U.S. will lose their jobs (but fewer than 50 people will be affected).

Kaspersky denies the national security allegations and says there are no “backdoors” in its products that Moscow could use to spy on users. The company says they should leave because of the current geopolitical climate and “theoretical concerns,” but that the war against Ukraine is more to blame. “Kaspersky’s business remains resilient, and our top priority remains the same – to protect our customers in every country from cyber threats. As a global cybersecurity provider, the company will continue to invest in strategic markets and remain committed to serving and protecting its customers and partners,” their statement said.

Raimondo and other experts gave no evidence about Kaspersky…

Source: PCGamer, BBC, Zero Day