Biden administration bans sale of Kaspersky software in US 

The move against the Russian cybersecurity giant aims to prevent the company from being used in cyber operations or data collection by Moscow. 

The post Biden administration bans sale of Kaspersky software in US  appeared first on CyberScoop.

Continue reading Biden administration bans sale of Kaspersky software in US 

Kaspersky added to FCC list that bans Huawei, ZTE from US networks

The cybersecurity giant is the first such company to be labeled by the FCC as an “unacceptable risk” to U.S. national security.

The post Kaspersky added to FCC list that bans Huawei, ZTE from US networks appeared first on CyberScoop.

Continue reading Kaspersky added to FCC list that bans Huawei, ZTE from US networks

Smashing Security podcast #266: Dick pics, secret spies, and Kaspersky

Germany tells consumers to stop using Kaspersky anti-virus products, OSINT reveals a secret government department (with help from an Apple AirTag), and the UK says it’s taking a hard line on dick pics.

All this and much more is discussed in the late… Continue reading Smashing Security podcast #266: Dick pics, secret spies, and Kaspersky

Kaspersky sales in North America fell by 25 percent in 2018, despite global revenue growth

Global revenue for Moscow-based cybersecurity vendor Kaspersky Lab increased by 4 percent last year despite sales in North America falling by 25 percent, the company said. The privately-owned Kaspersky reported an unaudited revenue of $726 million in 2018, thanks mostly to 27 percent growth in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa. Kaspersky also reported 55 percent growth in non-endpoint products and services. But the company also acknowledged that “the challenging geopolitical situation resulted in an overall slowdown in the North American market,” where sales fell by a quarter. Kaspersky’s sales announcement, published Tuesday, offers a glimpse at how scrutiny from the U.S. government has affected the company. President Trump in 2017 signed legislation prohibiting the use of Kaspersky software on computers and devices on military and civilian networks. The FBI also pushed private sector companies away from using Kaspersky products. U.S. officials have alleged Kaspersky is vulnerable to Russian influence, […]

The post Kaspersky sales in North America fell by 25 percent in 2018, despite global revenue growth appeared first on CyberScoop.

Continue reading Kaspersky sales in North America fell by 25 percent in 2018, despite global revenue growth

Kaspersky freezes partnership with Europol after EU calls for company ban

Kaspersky Lab pulled out of a partnership with Europol on Wednesday after the European Parliament passed a resolution characterizing Kaspersky “confirmed as malicious” and calling for a company ban. The measure passed 476 to 151. We have protected the EU for 20 years working with law enforcement leading to multiple arrests of CYBERCRIMINALS. Based upon today’s decision from the EU Parliament, we are forced to freeze our cooperation with orgs including @Europol & #NoMoreRansom pic.twitter.com/7dSGn9Bycw — Eugene Kaspersky (@e_kaspersky) June 13, 2018 The “European Parliament decision welcomes cybercrime,” Kaspersky founder Eugene Kaspersky tweeted on Wednesday. The company has worked with Europol for years on cybercrime investigations. Kaspersky also has a notable partnership with Interpol, where the company has supplied threat intelligence, hardware, software, digital forensics and other operations. Kaspersky also pulled out of the No More Ransom project, a partnership between public and private organizations to detect and prevent the spread […]

The post Kaspersky freezes partnership with Europol after EU calls for company ban appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Kaspersky freezes partnership with Europol after EU calls for company ban

Who’s Afraid of Kaspersky?

We went to Kaspersky Lab’s SAS conference, where the controversial Russian anti-virus firm showcases its best research, wines and dines competitors and journalists, and burns American espionage operations. Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Kaspersky?

Dutch ditch Kaspersky on fears of Russian government influence

The Dutch government announced Monday that it will end use of Kaspersky Lab’s anti-virus software, citing the Moscow-based cybersecurity firm’s alleged ties to the Russian government.  The Russian government has an “offensive cyber program that targets among others the Netherlands and Dutch interests,” wrote Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus in a letter to parliament that outlined the decision.  Grapperhaus explained that because Kaspersky Lab is headquartered in Moscow, it is subject to Russian laws and the could be forced to comply with state interests.  Cybersecurity experts and U.S. intelligence officials have previously said the same, fearing that Russian intelligence could use the company’s anti-virus program as a platform for targeted espionage.  All U.S. federal agencies were ordered by the Department of Homeland Security to stop using Kaspersky products in December 2017. That same month, the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre warned government agencies to avoid Russian anti-virus software.  In April, […]

The post Dutch ditch Kaspersky on fears of Russian government influence appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Dutch ditch Kaspersky on fears of Russian government influence

Kaspersky Lab banned from advertising on Twitter

Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab has been banned from advertising on Twitter due to its allegedly close and active ties between the company and Russian intelligence agencies, according to the social network. The ban is the latest blow in an ongoing saga for Kaspersky, which includes two ongoing legal battles with the U.S. government. Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky Lab, took to Twitter on Friday to condemn the ban. My open letter to @jack Dorsey asking for more transparency to quash any doubts about potential political censorship on Twitter https://t.co/XKtIOpbmd3 pic.twitter.com/UhecZRY7ZB — Eugene Kaspersky (@e_kaspersky) April 20, 2018 A Twitter spokesperson reiterated that the “decision is based on our determination that Kaspersky Lab operates using a business model that inherently conflicts with acceptable Twitter Ads business practices.” The same spokesperson pointed media to the September 2017 Department of Homeland Security decree that ordered federal agencies to remove Kaspersky products from […]

The post Kaspersky Lab banned from advertising on Twitter appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Kaspersky Lab banned from advertising on Twitter

DHS won’t reverse ban on Kaspersky products, court docs show

The Department of Homeland Security refuses to reverse the ban on Kaspersky products after the Russian anti-virus company sued the agency for its September 2017 directive, according to new court documents. Last month, Kaspersky Lab filed a preliminary injunction in U.S. federal court to overturn the Binding Operational Directive (BOD) that bans the company’s anti- virus software on federal computers. In a response to the court Tuesday, DHS is requesting the court to deny the request from Kaspersky Lab, stating that even if the BOD is overturned, the congressional ban on Kaspersky products still stands. Aside from the directive, the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits federal agencies from using Kaspersky products. That ban goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2018. “Any new investment in Kaspersky software would frustrate agency efforts to bring their information systems in compliance with the NDAA,” acting Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Grant Schneider said in a accompanying […]

The post DHS won’t reverse ban on Kaspersky products, court docs show appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading DHS won’t reverse ban on Kaspersky products, court docs show