US FCC Blacklists Kaspersky Products over National Security Concerns
The United States Federal Communications Commission issued an update on its list of equipment and services that are considered to post a "threat to national security". On March 25, the list was updated to include Kaspersky Lab, China Telecom Corp, and China Mobile International.
The new expansion of the equipment and service provider blacklist was explained by an ongoing effort to "secure our networks from threats posed by Chinese and Russian state-backed entities".
Kaspersky locked out of federal subsidies
This is not the first time Kaspersky finds itself on some sort of US-compiled blacklist. The company's software was banned from use on all US federal IT systems back in 2017, once again over concerns about security and the suspected links of the company with Russian authorities and the Russian government. With the latest inclusion in the FCC's list, Kaspersky now can't become the beneficiary of any sort of US federal subsidies in addition to the previous limitations.
The limitations on the use of Kaspersky products only concern federal institutions and IT networks. Of course, private individuals are free to choose whatever software they want to install on their home systems. However, with the latest inclusion of Kaspersky on the blacklist, PC World called the update a "strong advisory" that home users should be concerned about using the company's products as well.
The online publication also mentioned that Windows Defender "may" flag certain free-to-use Kaspersky tools as dangerous software, but never mentioned any specific names in the company's lineup of nearly 10 free security-related products.
Kaspersky claims decision not founded on technical data
Kaspersky responded with a statement that the decision to bar the company from receiving federal subsidies was politically motivated and had no grounding in the technical aspects of their products. The move likely comes as the next step in the organized campaign in the US to bolster cybersecurity defenses and prepare for possible Russian cyber retaliation as a response to the severe sanctions imposed on the Russian federation and individual Russian citizens.
Computer users are urged to utilize alternative and trusted resources for detection and removal of computer viruses and malware and avoiding Kaspersky apps altogether in lieu of the recent developments.