President Biden has banned the sale of Kaspersky software in the continental United States, effective immediately. The order further bans the use of any Kaspersky software, effective September 29, 2024. This ban applies to consumers, government and business organization. The ban further includes security updates for existing customers.
The US Department of commerce has issued a final determination that prohibits Kaspersky and its affiliates from transactions in the US. Effectively making it illegal to sell, integrate or license any Kaspersky cybersecurity software on the basis of national security.
“Kasperky’s products and services pose an unacceptable risk to the United States national security and the security and safety of U.S. persons, and an undue risk of subversion of, sabotage to, the integrity and operations of Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) in the United States. In particular, there is a significant risk of harm to the integrity and operation of ICTS and the ICTS supply chain in the United States.”
Kaspersky will be pursuing all legally available options to overturn the ban and has insisted that they do not engage in activities with threaten US National Security.
While this ban only affects operations in the US at this time, we will closely watch to see if Canada follows suit. Back in October 2023, the Canadian federal government banned the use of Kaspersky applications on government devices.
Cybersecurity is a growing concern globally. New threat actors appear daily and businesses must be vigilant and adjust accordingly. Not sure how to tackle it? No problem, contact us today and lets start a conversation about how we might be able to help your business stay safe..