US wants govt to get rid of Kaspersky Lab soft, firm denies guilt

MOSCOW, Sep 14 (PRIME) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordered state authorities and agencies to stop using programs of Russian antivirus software maker Kaspersky Lab due to concerns about the company’s ties with the Kremlin late on Wednesday, but Kaspersky Lab has denied all the allegations.

“After careful consideration of available information and consultation with interagency partners, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke today issued a Binding Operational Directive (BOD) directing Federal Executive Branch departments and agencies to take actions related to the use or presence of information security products, solutions, and services supplied directly or indirectly by Kaspersky Lab or related entities,” the department said in a statement.

“The BOD calls on departments and agencies to identify any use or presence of Kaspersky products on their information systems in the next 30 days, to develop detailed plans to remove and discontinue present and future use of the products in the next 60 days, and at 90 days from the date of this directive, unless directed otherwise by DHS based on new information, to begin to implement the agency plans to discontinue use and remove the products from information systems.”

The department is concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky Lab officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies, and requirements under the Russian law that allows Russian intelligence agencies to request or compel assistance from Kaspersky Lab and to intercept communications transiting Russian networks.

A spokesperson for Kaspersky Lab said that “no proof has been presented, and all accusations are based on faulty statements and incorrect conclusions, including complaints about the legal regulation in Russia, which can allegedly influence the company, and statements about political risks.”

“The company does not have any ties or affiliation with any government, including the Russian one. The accusations also ignore the fact that Kaspersky Lab has been working in the security industry for 20 years and has been sticking all these years to the highest standards of business and software development,” the spokesperson said.

Kaspersky Lab will continue its work with the U.S. department and is confident that further investigation will prove groundlessness of the accusations. The company does not help any government in cyber espionage, its spokesperson said.

The department is providing an opportunity for Kaspersky Lab to submit a written response addressing its concerns or to mitigate those concerns.

The Kaspersky Lab spokesperson also stressed that all the information the company gets from its clients, including traffic, is fully secured in compliance with the law and the strictest industry standards thanks to encoding, among others.

End