Following a ban imposed by the Commerce Department, Russian cybersecurity vendor Kaspersky has announced its withdrawal from the US market.
According to the Commerce Department, Kaspersky’s US operations may enhance the cyber-offensive capabilities of the Russian government.
Kaspersky, a Russian cybersecurity company, is planning to leave the US market and lay off dozens of employees there. The move comes after the company’s software was banned from being sold and distributed by the US government. When the ban goes into effect on July 20, the business is expected to begin ceasing operations.
The ban was made public by the US Commerce Department because the company has its headquarters in Russia, which raises privacy and security concerns. In the beginning, the company had planned to challenge the ban in court, claiming that its operations had no impact on US national security. The new decision, on the other hand, points to a shift in the company’s perspective. Additionally, a number of senior company executives have been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department. Customers from the United States can’t do business with Kaspersky because of the sanctions.
Kaspersky will not be able to sell its products to US customers directly or even through resellers once the ban goes into effect. Many resellers have said that the ban will hurt their businesses. Additionally, existing customers will not be able to receive security updates, which is anticipated to reduce antivirus software protection.
Since 2017, when the Trump and Biden administrations were in office, the US government has taken action against Kaspersky. Following the theft of classified information from a Kaspersky software system by Russian nation-state actors, the ban was initially limited to federal government agencies only. The expanded ban effectively prohibits all US systems from using the company’s products.
Kaspersky has announced that, as a way of saying goodbye to its customers in the United States, it will offer its security products for free for the next six months. It will also provide security advice, such as reminding users to change passwords and keep backups of their data. Kaspersky has been forced to look for customers in other regions, particularly in South America and Asia, for the foreseeable future due to the US ban and increased EU pressure.
