Kaspersky Labs will exit the US market, gradually winding down its operations from July 20. The Russia-based antivirus software company’s announcement comes nearly three weeks after the Biden administration announced plans to ban sales of Kaspersky’s software citing security risks.
Reports said that Kaspersky will eliminate all US-based positions affecting “less than 50 employees in the US.”
“Russia has shown it has the capacity, and even more than that, the intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans. And that’s why we are compelled to take the action that we’re taking today,” US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said last month.
Apart from announcing plans to ban the sale of anti-virus software made by Kaspersky in the country, the government also slapped sanctions in June on Kaspersky’s senior leadership, including the chief business development officer, chief operating officer, legal officer and corporate communications chief, citing cybersecurity risks.
What Kaspersky has to say
In a statement shared with The Times of India Tech team, Kaspersky said that the company does not engage in activities which threaten US national security, adding that it intends to pursue all legally available options to preserve its current operations and relationships.
Here’s the company’s statement in full:
Kaspersky is aware of the decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to prohibit the usage of Kaspersky software in the United States. The decision does not affect the company’s ability to sell and promote cyber threat intelligence offerings and/or trainings in the U.S. Despite proposing a system in which the security of Kaspersky products could have been independently verified by a trusted 3rd party, Kaspersky believes that the Department of Commerce made its decision based on the present geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns, rather than on a comprehensive evaluation of the integrity of Kaspersky’s products and services. Kaspersky does not engage in activities which threaten U.S. national security and, in fact, has made significant contributions with its reporting and protection from a variety of threat actors that targeted U.S. interests and allies. The company intends to pursue all legally available options to preserve its current operations and relationships. For over 26 years, Kaspersky has succeeded in its mission of building a safer future by protecting over a billion devices. Kaspersky provides industry-leading products and services to customers around the world to protect them from all types of cyber threats, and has repeatedly demonstrated its independence from any government. Additionally, Kaspersky has implemented significant transparency measures that are unmatched by any of its cybersecurity industry peers to demonstrate its enduring commitment to integrity and trustworthiness. The Department of Commerce’s decision unfairly ignores the evidence. The primary impact of these measures will be the benefit they provide to cybercrime. International cooperation between cybersecurity experts is crucial in the fight against malware, and yet this will restrict those efforts. Furthermore, it takes away the freedom that consumers and organisations, large and small, should have to use the protection they want, in this case forcing them away from the best anti-malware technology in the industry, according to independent tests. This will cause a dramatic disruption for our customers, who will be forced to urgently replace technology they prefer and have relied upon for their protection for years. Kaspersky remains committed to protecting the world from cyberthreats. The company’s business remains resilient and strong, marked by an 11-percent growth in sales bookings in 2023. We look forward to what the future holds, and will continue to defend ourselves against actions that seek to unfairly harm our reputation and commercial interests.
Reports said that Kaspersky will eliminate all US-based positions affecting “less than 50 employees in the US.”
“Russia has shown it has the capacity, and even more than that, the intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans. And that’s why we are compelled to take the action that we’re taking today,” US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said last month.
Apart from announcing plans to ban the sale of anti-virus software made by Kaspersky in the country, the government also slapped sanctions in June on Kaspersky’s senior leadership, including the chief business development officer, chief operating officer, legal officer and corporate communications chief, citing cybersecurity risks.
What Kaspersky has to say
In a statement shared with The Times of India Tech team, Kaspersky said that the company does not engage in activities which threaten US national security, adding that it intends to pursue all legally available options to preserve its current operations and relationships.
Here’s the company’s statement in full:
Kaspersky is aware of the decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to prohibit the usage of Kaspersky software in the United States. The decision does not affect the company’s ability to sell and promote cyber threat intelligence offerings and/or trainings in the U.S. Despite proposing a system in which the security of Kaspersky products could have been independently verified by a trusted 3rd party, Kaspersky believes that the Department of Commerce made its decision based on the present geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns, rather than on a comprehensive evaluation of the integrity of Kaspersky’s products and services. Kaspersky does not engage in activities which threaten U.S. national security and, in fact, has made significant contributions with its reporting and protection from a variety of threat actors that targeted U.S. interests and allies. The company intends to pursue all legally available options to preserve its current operations and relationships. For over 26 years, Kaspersky has succeeded in its mission of building a safer future by protecting over a billion devices. Kaspersky provides industry-leading products and services to customers around the world to protect them from all types of cyber threats, and has repeatedly demonstrated its independence from any government. Additionally, Kaspersky has implemented significant transparency measures that are unmatched by any of its cybersecurity industry peers to demonstrate its enduring commitment to integrity and trustworthiness. The Department of Commerce’s decision unfairly ignores the evidence. The primary impact of these measures will be the benefit they provide to cybercrime. International cooperation between cybersecurity experts is crucial in the fight against malware, and yet this will restrict those efforts. Furthermore, it takes away the freedom that consumers and organisations, large and small, should have to use the protection they want, in this case forcing them away from the best anti-malware technology in the industry, according to independent tests. This will cause a dramatic disruption for our customers, who will be forced to urgently replace technology they prefer and have relied upon for their protection for years. Kaspersky remains committed to protecting the world from cyberthreats. The company’s business remains resilient and strong, marked by an 11-percent growth in sales bookings in 2023. We look forward to what the future holds, and will continue to defend ourselves against actions that seek to unfairly harm our reputation and commercial interests.
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