The US presidential administration plans to ban American companies and citizens from using software from the Russian Kaspersky Lab, officials familiar with the matter told CNN.
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What is known about the ban
According to them, the ban will be introduced due to “national security reasons.” The White House believes that Russian authorities could use data held by Kaspersky Lab to hack or spy on American companies and citizens. Thus, such a measure could reduce risks to US critical infrastructure.
The corresponding order is at the finalization stage, but the decision to introduce a ban could be officially announced as early as April, CNN’s interlocutors say. They note that the document will be released by the US Department of Commerce, where changes are still being made to it.
The draft order refers to the prohibition of “certain transactions” between a Russian company and US citizens. It also lists specific Kaspersky software that will be prohibited. However, the main focus is on the company's antivirus programs, one of CNN's sources noted.
In 2017, the US Department of Homeland Security banned the use of Kaspersky Lab products in federal authorities due to suspicions of the company's ties to Russian intelligence services. However, the measure did not apply to individuals and companies.
Kaspersky Lab's share of the US end-user device protection market in 2016 was 4.3%, and in 2017 it decreased to 3.8%. Today, the company's products are used by more than 400 million people and 240 thousand companies around the world.
