The US government has announced a ban on the sale of Kaspersky antivirus software in the country, with Americans who use the software recommended to switch to a different provider. The decision was made by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, citing concerns that Kaspersky poses a threat to national security and users’ privacy due to its Russian origins.
According to US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Russia has shown the capacity and intent to exploit Kaspersky to collect and weaponize American personal information. The ban will take effect on July 20, with Kaspersky allowed to provide software and security updates to existing customers until September 29.
The decision to ban Kaspersky has been in the works since last year, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal in April 2023.
The ban does not penalize U.S. individuals or businesses that currently use Kaspersky, with Raimondo reassuring that they are not violating the law. Instead, she strongly recommends that users immediately find an alternative to Kaspersky to protect themselves and their data. The Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department will work to notify U.S. consumers, and a website will be set up to provide information and assistance to those affected.
According to Kaspersky, the company has more than 400 million individual customers, and over 240,000 corporate customers worldwide.
