Russian company Kaspersky's software banned by US over security concerns

Washington: The sale of antivirus software produced by the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, located in Moscow, will be banned in the US.

The US Department of Commerce stated in a statement on Thursday that the company's activities in the US posed a risk to national security "due to the of the Russian government's offensive cyber capabilities and capacity to influence or direct Kaspersky's operations.

“Kaspersky will generally no longer be able to, among other activities, sell its software within the US or provide updates to software already in use."

Private and professional users of Kaspersky's widely installed antivirus software should find an alternative due to the risk, the Department added.

"Russia has shown time and again they have the capability and intent to exploit Russian companies, like Kaspersky Lab, to collect and weaponise sensitive US information, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to safeguard US national security and the American people," Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, IANS reported.

The sale of Kaspersky software in the US will be banned from July 20.

The Russian multinational will be able to provide software updates to existing users until September 29.

Kaspersky's software is designed to protect users against trojans, spyware and other cyber threats.

In the US, installation on government devices has been banned since 2017, and in Germany, the Federal Office for Information Security warns against using the software.

Kaspersky has denied its products pose a risk, stating it is a private global cybersecurity company with no ties to the Russian government.