Senators are pushing for a ban of Kaspersky Lab anti-virus services within the military. The proposal is because officials are concerned the Russian company “might be vulnerable to Russian government influence,” Reuters reported Wednesday. The Department of Defence budget rules draft included the proposal. The draft was recently published by the Senate. Several Kaspersky Lab employees were visited by the FBI on Tuesday, although it is understood no arrests were made. The Moscow-based company has not responded to the situation specifically. However, Kaspersky did confirm the FBI had been in contact with its employees. Cybersecurity and Russian ties to leaks and hacks have been buzz topics in the U.S. Last year’s Presidential Elections was marred by email leaks believed to have been perpetrated by Russia. There have also been several high-profile malware attacks that has targeted governments. US authorities are on high alert and are sensitive to any potential vulnerabilities. Government agencies are being pressed to modernize their computing infrastructure to protect valuable data.
Kaspersky Lab vs. Microsoft
Kaspersky is currently locked in a battle with Microsoft. The company says Microsoft prohibits third-party anti-virus software on its Windows 10 platform. After promising dialogue, Kaspersky Lab went ahead with a previous threat and reported Microsoft to antitrust regulators in the EU. “We see clearly—and are ready to prove—that Microsoft uses its dominant position in the computer operating system (OS) market to fiercely promote its own—inferior—security software (Windows Defender) at the expense of users’ previously self-chosen security solution,” Kaspersky Lab CEO Eugene Kaspersky explains. “Such promotion is conducted using questionable methods, and we want to bring these methods to the attention of the anti-competition authorities.”
