Will US Ban on Kaspersky Anti-virus Affect Kazakhstan?

Kaspersky Lab's Antivirus has been banned in the United States. Orda.kz has looked into whether this will affect Kazakhstani users.

The Guardian reports that American President Joe Biden's administration has banned the distribution of software from Kaspersky Lab for national security reasons. The US Commerce Department also added three firms associated with the company to its list of entities of concern due to possible Russian intelligence and military ties.

Kaspersky will generally no longer be able to, among other activities, sell its software within the United States or provide updates to software already in use, The US Department of Commerce said in a statement.

The Department added that a “lengthy investigation” proved that Kaspersky Lab’s activities in the United States pose a threat, and there is a risk that the Russian government may influence the company’s activities.

This concerns the potential collection and use of important user data. Americans using Kaspersky software have been advised to switch to other antivirus products. The company can continue operations in the United States (including updates) until September 29.

Kaspersky Lab's headquarters are in Moscow. The company has branches in 31 countries. Its antivirus solutions are used by 400 million people in 200 countries.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is a significant market for Kaspersky Lab. Their products are among the top five most popular anti-virus solutions in the country. We contacted Kaspersky Lab's press service in Kazakhstan for comment and asked to explain whether Kazakhstan's users could face issues.

They responded that “the company's business remains stable” outside the United States. The press service stated that Kaspersky Lab proposed the US Department of Commerce conduct an independent review of its products, but the department’s decision was based “on the current geopolitical situation and theoretical concerns, and not on a technical assessment.”

Kaspersky Lab's official statement highlights that the US Department of Commerce’s decision “will primarily contribute to the development of cybercrime,” as international cooperation is necessary to counter cyber threats effectively. The new ban restricts such cooperation. The company noted that it considers the actions of the US Department of Commerce “aimed at unfair damage to reputation and commercial interests.”

The representative office of Kaspersky Lab in Kazakhstan, responding to the question of whether the US restrictions would affect antivirus users in Kazakhstan, answered very succinctly:

Original Author: Nikita Drobny

DISCLAIMER: This is a translated piece. The text has been modified, the content is the same. Please refer to the original article in Russian for accuracy.