It looks like just about all of their corporate execs (other than CEO Eugene Kaspersky) have been sanctioned by the US Fed.Gov. Oh, yeah, the software is banned in the USA after July 20:
The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) cited national security threats in designating the 12 individuals as under sanction. In making the announcement, it also noted: "OFAC has not designated Kaspersky Lab, its parent or subsidiary companies, or its CEO."
The Treasury did, however, designate just about every other exec who reports directly to the Moscow-based firm's chief exec "for operating in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy," which under EO 14024 is a no-no.
It follows Thursday's actions by the Commerce Department that prohibit Kaspersky Lab Inc from providing its software and other security services in America from July 20 — plus years of directives and mandates to kick Kaspersky products out of US government networks.
This seems weird - maybe it's just more escalation of Great Power Politics between the US and Russia by the neocons in our government. Kaspersky has made good products, and a scan of the Borepatch archives shows only references to what has been a quality security company.
If you use their antivirus, it looks like you need to go shopping.
You don't suppose the gummint is doing this so that no one will discover the gummint's viruses? Mark this down as conspiracy theory number 86495.7
ReplyDeleteChuck, that's pretty funny. But I actually don't think so.
ReplyDeleteWouldn’t it be interesting if they pushed out an update for Kaspersky that detected and killed FBI/CIA spyware as a farewell FU to the US government?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they are a good antivirus product, maybe they are an espionage product posing as one. Maybe even both. Problem is it's from Russia. Meaning it's not worth the risk. Almost all Chinese products capable of spying in fact do spy to some extent or another. Prudence dictates we assume the same of Russian products. And yes....politics is involved. Politics is always involved in everything coming from Mordor On The Potomac.
ReplyDeleteWe have used Kaspersky for years! No problems, great protection and nary a worry. Now what do we do???
ReplyDeleteDon F - I wonder if a VPN would be a workaround.
ReplyDeleteMy bet is that Chuck Pergiel NAILED it with his first post!
ReplyDeleteThe US IC is upset that this software uncovers their malware and cyberwar tools. No doubt about that.
ReplyDeleteWhich doesn't mean that the Russians aren't using it for their own purposes.
I doubt we'll ever be told the truth.
But for MOST people, Mind your own business, what are the Russians going to actually DO to you?
ReplyDeleteI selected Kaspersky in the first place because it got good reviews and I believed (still do) that all US providers are compromised by the Federal government. Kaspersky may be compromised by the Russians but they don't care about me whereas the US government thinks everyone who reads this blog is a domestic extremist.
ReplyDeleteI have most of a three year subscription yet to run and now the prohibition on updates have rendered it useless. I therefore have a contract with Kaspersky which the Federal government has interfered with and made it impossible for Kaspersky to fulfill the contract. Seems like a violation of the contract clause to me.
I've been running Kaspersky on multiple machines for decades and as far as I'm concerned it is the best thing out there. I don't care if it is from Russia and I do care very much that our corrupt government is telling me what I can buy and who I can buy it from.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, matism. But that doesn't mean it can't or won't.
ReplyDeleteAnd given how our government has gone so far out of its way to antagonize the Russians and wage a proxy war against them, why wouldn't the Russians just turn any info they get over to the people who extort and blackmail for Bitcoin? Who cripple businesses and our infrastructure (through our own unpreparedness and stupidity, granted)?