U.S. governamental agencies to stop using Kaspersky products U.S. governamental agencies to stop using Kaspersky products

Homeland Security has recently decided to ban Kaspersky Anti-Virus and all other products made by the company from any computer in use by U.S. government personnel. According to the agency's official statement, all the Executive Branch agencies and departments have a maximum of 30 days to identify any application created by the Russian company on their Macs or PCs and another 60 days to replace the software with a different brand.

The American General Services Administration had already removed Kaspersky from the list of approved federal vendors over three-years ago, however, an outright ban of the brand seems like a bit of an overkill. From what I know, the U.S. officials are concerned about the fact that the security company, which is based in Moscow, can be influenced or even outright compelled by the Russian government to intercept communications transiting their networks. However, the DHS has stated that it will allow the security company to plead its case in a written argument and present any data that could alleviate the security concerns. In an official statement, Kaspersky's representatives denied having any unethical ties or affiliations to any government, including the Russian one.

As far as I'm concerned, a public ban of a private company based on geopolitical issues seems like a very un-American thing to do, especially since there are quite a few other security solutions for Mac on the market and the change could have been done without generating this much buzz.

Referenced applications

Kaspersky Anti-Virus

Windows

rating

Protect computer from viruses, ransomware, spyware, and other threats.

Kaspersky Internet Security

Windows

rating

Detect and remove viruses, worms, Trojans, rootkits, and other malware.

Author's other posts

Best remote desktop tools for Windows
Article
Best remote desktop tools for Windows
Looking for a reliable application to help you remotely access other computers and transfer files? Here are some of the best solutions:
Essential apps for your MacBook
Article
Essential apps for your MacBook
A list containing some must-have applications for those who just bought a new MacBook or have recently reinstalled the operating system.
Our favorite download managers for Windows
Article
Our favorite download managers for Windows
Looking for a way to make copying files from the Internet faster? Here are some of the best download managers to help you out with that.
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 update may delete user files
News
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 update may delete user files
Users have reported that the latest Windows 10 update has deleted file from their PCs. Microsoft is looking into the matter and has decided to temporarily pause the updates.