Joe Biden Blocked Victims Increase, Russian Antivirus Company Suspended
Morrissey Technology – The United States government under the command of President Joe Biden banned the sale of Kaspersky antivirus in his country for national security reasons. US citizens are asked to switch to other antivirus services. The Bureau of Industry and Security under the US Department of Commerce argued that Kaspersky threatens the security and privacy of users in the US because the company is headquartered in Russia.
“Russia has demonstrated that it has the capacity, and even more so, the intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize the personal information of US citizens,” said US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
One Reuters source said Kaspersky’s close ties to the Russian government posed a national security risk. It is feared that Kaspersky and the Russian government could steal sensitive information, install malware, or prevent security updates on devices belonging to US citizens FOR4D.
Kaspersky will be banned from selling its software to consumers and businesses in the US starting July 20, 2024. However, they can still release software and security updates to their users until September 29, 2024. After that Kaspersky could no longer provide updates for its users in the US. Raimondo insists Kaspersky users in the US are not breaking the law and advises them to use alternative antivirus.
“Individuals and businesses in the US who continue to use or own Kaspersky products and services are not breaking the law, you are not doing anything wrong and are not subject to any criminal or civil penalties,” Raimondo said.
“However, I ask you to immediately stop using this software and switch to an alternative to protect yourself and your data and your family,” he continued.
This ban is the latest development in a series of actions taken by the US government against Kaspersky FOR4D. In 2017, the Donald Trump administration banned US federal agencies from using Kaspersky antivirus.
Earlier this year, Russian government hackers reportedly stole classified documents stored on the personal computer of a contract employee at an intelligence agency who used Kaspersky antivirus. This is the first reported espionage incident due to the use of Kaspersky antivirus. The US government is increasingly aggressive in blocking foreign technology or limiting it. Companies in China, especially, are increasingly restricted from getting technology from America.