WASHINGTON — Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned 12 individuals in executive and senior leadership roles at Russia-based AO Kaspersky Lab (Kaspersky Lab), and has banned the company from selling its antivirus software products in the United States.
The Department of Commerce has issued a final determination pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13873 prohibiting Kaspersky Lab, IN.C.., its affiliates, subsidiaries and parent companies directly or indirectly from providing anti-virus software and cybersecurity products or services in the United States or to U.S. persons.
The Commerce Department reached this determination after an investigation found transactions involving the products and services of Kaspersky Lab, IN.C.. and its corporate family pose unacceptable risk to U.S. national security or the safety and security of U.S. persons, as outlined in E.O. 13873, Treasury said.
‘Contrary to National Interests’
In addition, the Department of Commerce has designated AO Kaspersky Lab and OOO Kaspersky Group (Russia), and Kaspersky Labs Limited (United Kingdom) on the Entity List for their cooperation with Russian military and intelligence authorities in support of the Russian government’s cyber intelligence objectives.
“These activities are contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests,” Treasury said.
Previously, the Department of Homeland Security issued a binding operational directive that required Federal Executive Branch departments and agencies to discontinue use of and remove Kaspersky Lab-branded products and services, as defined, from their information systems.
‘Security Risks’
‘This action was based on information that identified the security risks presented by the use of Kaspersky Lab products on Federal information systems,” Treasury said. “Kaspersky Lab’s anti-virus products and solutions provide broad access to files and elevated privileges on the computers on which the software is installed, which can be exploited by malicious cyber actors to compromise those information systems,”