The Australian government has banned all Kaspersky Lab products and web services from its systems and devices following an analysis that claims the company poses a significant security risk to the country. products and web services by Australian Government entities poses an unacceptable security risk to Australian Government, networks and data, arising from threats of foreign interference, espionage and sabotage," justified Stephanie Foster, Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs. The German government advised companies in the country against using Kaspersky products soon after the invasion of Ukraine, while Canada banned the use of Kaspersky security products on the mobile devices of government employees in October 2023. "I have also considered the important need for a strong policy signal to critical infrastructure and other Australian governments regarding the unacceptable security risk associated with the use of Kaspersky Lab, Inc. "Kaspersky believes that the decision stems from the current geopolitical climate and was not supported by any technical assessment of the company's products, which the company has been continuously advocating for," stated Mai Al Akkad, Kaspersky's Corporate Communications Manager. A provision for exemption exists for cases where using Kaspersky products is necessary for national security or regulatory functions, including compliance and law enforcement. The U.S. prohibited the use of Kaspersky products on government systems in 2017 and expanded the ban to cover all U.S. companies and consumers on September 29, 2024. This move by the Australian government follows similar actions in other Western countries that have also cited national security and espionage concerns.
This Cyber News was published on www.bleepingcomputer.com. Publication date: Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:15:16 +0000