Amid U.S. effort to exclude Kaspersky, Putin backs plan to force out foreign software

Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced his support last Friday for a plan to compel Russian companies to purchase and deploy software that is created only by Russian technology firms rather than foreign competitors. The move comes as the FBI is privately counseling U.S. businesses to uninstall products that are created and sold by Moscow-based cybersecurity giant Kaspersky Lab due to reported privacy and security concerns. Although Kaspersky’s anti-virus software is not widely used in federal agencies, some companies continue to rely on it for protection against hackers. The FBI has yet to publicly provide evidence to support the accusation that Kaspersky acts as an extension of Russian intelligence services. Putin told Russian news agency Interfax that Russian companies looking to secure government contracts should comply with the regulatory directive — which by nature, appears to reward organizations that invest in domestic alternatives if and when they exist. “In terms of security, there are things that […]

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August 2, 2017 – Hack Naked News #134

No more VPNs in Russia, hacking luxury cars, stolen Game of Thrones scripts, your Echo is spying on you, and more. Jason Wood of Paladin Security joins us to discuss Chrome plugin phishing attacks on this episode of Hack Naked News! Full Show Notes Visit http://hacknaked.tv to get all the latest episodes!

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Amid Kaspersky controversy, Russia considers pushing out foreign competitors

As U.S. lawmakers continue to cast doubt on the independence of Russia-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, the Kremlin is considering plans that would cut off foreign anti-virus vendors from the Russian market.  The newly announced plan, first reported by Russian news outlet Meduza, will be reportedly presented Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the moment, a Russian advisory body for strategic projects is reviewing a draft copy of the bill. If enacted, the proposed law would become effective in mid-2019, according to Meduza. As it’s currently written, it will become mandatory for any computer that is imported or produced within the Eurasian Economic Union to carry anti-virus software that’s made by a country considered to be a “domestic technology company.” The Eurasian Economic Union is comprised by five member states, including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. American cybersecurity firms only hold a small percentage of market share among those countries. The anti-virus […]

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Report: Obama admin planted cyber ‘bombs’ inside Russian infrastructure

The Obama Administration reportedly planted cyber weapons within Russian infrastructure in 2016 to use in response to potential threats made by the Kremlin, according to the Washington Post. Through collaboration with members of the NSA, CIA and U.S. Cyber Command, according to the Washington Post, Obama gave his signature to a covert cyber operation designed “to be triggered remotely as part of retaliatory cyber-strike in the face of Russian aggression, whether an attack on a power grid or interference in a future presidential race.” The cyber weapons were “the digital equivalent of bombs that could be detonated if the United States found itself in an escalating exchange with Moscow,” but the project, including the “time sensitive” weapons, were never fully completed under Obama and the option for potential retaliation now rests with President Donald Trump. The Obama administration publicly announced a set of sanctions in December 2016 aimed at cracking […]

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Russia poses largest cybersecurity risk to U.S., Rep. Ruppersberger says

Although all of America’s adversaries present serious cyberthreats, Russia’s hackers are the most dangerous right now, says the Maryland congressman whose district houses the National Security Agency. “Cyber issues [are] so important to what we do. And what’s kind of keeping me up a little bit right now, it’s not China,” Democratic Rep. Dutch Ruppersburger said at the 2017 Digital Nation Summit presented by SAP and FedScoop. “I mean, we have to always look at China, and you have to look at Iran, you have to look at North Korea … but I think right now, where we have to focus especially in this field, is Russia.” Russian President Vladimir Putin is shrewd, smart and motivated to reunite the Soviet Union, and he’s pouring the country’s funds into cybersecurity, military and space, said Ruppersberger, who has served on several key committees during his long tenure in Congress, including the House Intelligence panel. His suburban Baltimore […]

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