#Who owns kaspersky antivirus software#
The software had become an advanced search engine for Russian hackers to steal data, the Times reported.ĬyberScoop also reported on the same day that Kaspersky Lab and the US government had a tense confrontation in 2015 after the security company boasted to FBI agents during a sales pitch that the software could be used as a tool for spying on terrorists. 10, The New York Times reported that Israeli intelligence caught Russian hackers looking for secret files in real time using Kaspersky Lab's antivirus software. In 2015, the antivirus scanner picked up the NSA's hacking tools, which landed in the Kremlin's hands, according to the report.Īnd then on Oct. 5 that Russians had used Kaspersky's software to steal NSA secrets from a staffer's home laptop. The company's founder, Eugene Kaspersky, on multiple occasions has denied any connections to the Russian government, but Capitol Hill doesn't seem to be buying it. Stores like Best Buy, Office Depot and Staples followed suit and removed Kaspersky's software from their shelves. 13, the Department of Homeland Security ordered all federal agencies to remove Kaspersky software from their computer systems. In September, the Senate passed a bill banning Kaspersky software from all federal computers as part of the annual defense budget. "The strong ties between Kaspersky Lab and the Kremlin are alarming and well-documented." What has the US government done? Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, said in a statement. "The case against Kaspersky Lab is overwhelming," Sen. This came a month after FBI agents visited Kaspersky employees in the US, questioning the company's motives. The allegations, which have cropped up over the last several months, range from Kaspersky working with the Russian government to Kremlin spies hacking the antivirus software and using it without the company knowing.Ī Bloomberg article in July said internal emails showed Kaspersky Lab was working closely with Russia's FSB, the country's equivalent to the FBI.
The government worries Kaspersky Lab has ties to the Russian government. Why does the US government have an issue with Kaspersky? It's the latest outgrowth of the increased attention on Russian hacking, a national security issue that has prompted lawmakers to look into potential threats to systems like our electrical power grid and electoral process.Ĭonfused and nervous about software you may be running on your computer? Read on.
The US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a hearing Wednesday into the risks that Kaspersky Lab products may pose for the US. Then came allegations of the company's ties to the Russian government. As recently as September, the company's software was one of the highest-rated virus protections, with 400 million users worldwide, according to the company. Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab has been a top cybersecurity company with government contracts around the world, including the US. The US government and one of the most popular and well-reviewed antivirus software companies are going through a messy breakup. The US government is concerned about the cybersecurity company's ties to the Russian government. A peek inside Kaspersky Lab's Moscow headquarters.