Kaspersky has confirmed it will close its US operations and cut US jobs following President Biden’s ban on Russian activities last month.
A spokesman for the antivirus lab said The register The shutdown will affect fewer than 50 employees in the United States, and layoffs will begin later this week.
“Starting July 20, Kaspersky will gradually wind down its operations in the United States and eliminate its U.S.-based positions,” the representative told us. “This decision and process follows the final decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which prohibits the sale and distribution of Kaspersky products in the United States.”
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced the ban in June, saying at the time that Kaspersky would no longer be allowed to sell software in the United States to new customers starting July 20 due to national security concerns. Uncle Sam will also prohibit Kaspersky from distributing software updates and malware signatures to existing U.S. customers after September 29, rendering its security software largely useless after that date.
“Russia has shown that it has the capability – and even more than that, the intent – to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize Americans’ personal information,” Raimondo said in June.
The next day, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned a dozen senior executives and managers at the antivirus maker, but notably left CEO and co-founder Eugene Kaspersky off the list.
The Russian company then blamed the ban on the “current geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns,” and said it was not based on a legitimate assessment of Kaspersky’s services. America is doing a lot to help Ukraine repel its Russian invaders, and the antivirus maker said it was caught in the geopolitical crossfire.
Kaspersky has also denied that it poses a threat to US national security – Uncle Sam claims the lab’s products could be used by the Kremlin to hack into American systems – and has vowed to take legal action over the matter.
In a statement today, however, it appears that all plans to challenge the ban in US courts have failed.
“The company has carefully reviewed and assessed the impact of U.S. legal requirements and has made this sad and difficult decision as business opportunities in the country are no longer viable,” it said.
Kaspersky, the statement added, has been operating in the United States for nearly 20 years, “contributing to the nation’s strategic cybersecurity objectives by protecting the nation’s organizations and individuals from ever-evolving cyber threats.”
It continued:
“Kaspersky’s business remains resilient and our priority remains the same: to protect our customers in every country from cyber threats. As a global provider of cybersecurity solutions, the company will continue to invest in strategic markets and remain committed to serving and protecting our customers and partners.” ®
News Source : www.theregister.com
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