The Department of Homeland Security is directing all 430 departments, agencies and offices comprising the U.S. government to scrub their systems for any software made by Kaspersky Lab, a world-renowned cybersecurity firm based in Moscow that U.S. officials increasingly allege has ties to the Russian government.

"This action is based on the information security risks presented by the use of Kaspersky products on federal information systems," DHS said in a statement today. "The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security."

This is one of the U.S. government’s most significant steps yet amid concerns that the Kremlin could try to use Kaspersky Lab software – embedded in homes, businesses and government systems across the United States – to spy on Americans, steal sensitive files or attack critical infrastructure.

"After careful consideration of available information and consultation with interagency partners, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke today issued a Binding Operational Directive (BOD) directing Federal Executive Branch departments and agencies to ... identify any use or presence of Kaspersky products on their information systems in the next 30 days, to develop detailed plans to remove and discontinue present and future use of the products in the next 60 days, and at 90 days from the date of this directive, unless directed otherwise by DHS based on new information, to begin to implement the agency plans to discontinue use and remove the products from information systems," DHS said in a press release today.

Kaspersky Lab responded in a statement today, saying, "Given that Kaspersky Lab doesn't have inappropriate ties with any government, the company is disappointed with the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but also is grateful for the opportunity to provide additional information to the agency in order to confirm that these allegations are completely unfounded. No credible evidence has been presented publicly by anyone or any organization as the accusations are based on false allegations and inaccurate assumptions."

The DHS decision comes on the same day that Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sent a letter to DHS Acting Secretary Elaine Duke, demanding information on the U.S. government's use of Kaspersky Lab software.

"While our intelligence agencies may not use Kaspersky software, other federal agencies do ... [and] it is alarming that essential U.S. government agencies do," Klobuchar wrote. "This is especially concerning because the Russian government is actively trying to undermine our democracy."

In particular, Klobuchar wants to know whether DHS uses Kaspersky Lab software on any critical infrastructure, whether DHS has reached out to state agencies about their use of such software, and whether DHS is working to ensure that any software on election-related systems is safe to use.

Kobuchar cited ABC News’ exclusive reporting that DHS issued a secret memorandum about Kaspersky Lab in February.

Two months ago, the Trump administration decided to remove Kaspersky Lab from the U.S. government's list of companies whose products are approved for use on federal systems.

The government list -- known as a schedule -- is maintained by the General Services Administration, and GSA "made the decision to remove Kaspersky Lab-manufactured products" after "review and careful consideration," a GSA spokeswoman said at the time.

As ABC News first reported two weeks ago, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is pushing legislation to prohibit the federal government from using products made by Kaspersky Lab, which she said has “extensive ties to Russian intelligence.”

"The Kremlin hacked our presidential election, is waging a cyberwar against our NATO allies and is probing opportunities to use similar tactics against democracies worldwide," she wrote in The New York Times last week. "Why then are federal agencies, local and state governments and millions of Americans unwittingly inviting this threat into their cyber networks and secure spaces?"

Kaspersky Lab has dismissed such concerns as "unfounded conspiracy theories," insisting it poses no threat to customers and has no "bad" ties with the Russian government.

U.S. officials have yet to publicly present any evidence indicating concerning links between Kaspersky Lab employees and elements of the Russian government.

But Shaheen, a key member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said assessments underlying U.S. officials' concerns are classified, and "it is unacceptable to ignore questions about Kaspersky Lab because the answers are shielded in classified materials."

An ABC News investigation earlier this year found that -- largely through outside vendors -- Kaspersky Lab software has been procured by some segments of the Defense Department, Justice Department, and other federal agencies.

As ABC News previously reported, the FBI launched a counterintelligence investigation of Kaspersky Lab several years ago, and the agency has recently been taking new steps to assess Kaspersky Lab's relationship with Russian intelligence services, including interviewing company employees based in the United States.

"Kaspersky Lab is facing one of the most serious challenges to its business yet, given that members of the U.S. government wrongly believe the company or I or both are somehow tied to the Russian government," he recently wrote on his blog. "Basically, it seems that because I'm a self-made entrepreneur who, due to my age and nationality, inevitably was educated during the Soviet era in Russia, they mistakenly conclude my company and I must be bosom buddies with the Russian intelligence agencies ... Yes, it is that absurdly ridiculous."

"Kaspersky Lab believes it is completely unacceptable that the company is being unjustly accused without any hard evidence to back up these false allegations," the company said in a statement today. "Kaspersky Lab, a private company, seems to be caught in the middle of a geopolitical fight where each side is attempting to use the company as a pawn in their political game."

In its statement today, DHS said it is "providing an opportunity for Kaspersky to submit a written response addressing the department’s concerns or to mitigate those concerns. ... The department wants to ensure that the company has a full opportunity to inform the Acting Secretary of any evidence, materials, or data that may be relevant."</s>American government agencies are now banned from using software created by the Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab and will have to begin removing Kaspersky products from their systems within three months, the Department of Homeland Security announced today.

The company has faced rumors that it could be coerced into sharing information with the Russian government for some time, but those allegations have garnered more attention as Washington reacts to the mounting evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

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“The Department is concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies, and requirements under Russian law that allow Russian intelligence agencies to request or compel assistance from Kaspersky and to intercept communications transiting Russian networks,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. “The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security.”

Still, aside from Kaspersky’s ties to Russia and the word “cyber,” there’s no public evidence to show that the company is colluding with Russian intelligence services. Without that evidence, it’s not clear if Kaspersky is really shady or if the ban is just a misdirected attempt to remedy the mistakes of the election cycle.

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In a statement obtained by BuzzFeed, a Kaspersky spokesperson emphasized the lack of evidence demonstrating it has done anything wrong. “No credible evidence has been presented publicly by anyone or any organization as the accusations are based on false allegations and inaccurate assumptions, including claims about the impact of Russian regulations and policies on the company,” the spokesperson said. Earlier this summer, the company offered to open its source code for inspection by US officials.

But despite the lack of evidence and Kaspersky’s repeated denials, US intelligence officials are sketched out by Kaspersky. During a Senate hearing on Russian election interference in March, former NSA director Keith Alexander said he wouldn’t trust Kaspersky products on his own computer and suggested that others shouldn’t use it either.

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However, Thomas Rid, a professor at King’s College London and one of the other panelists at the hearing, added, “It’s important to note that Kaspersky is not an arm of the Russian government.”</s>American government agencies have been ordered to remove Russia’s Kaspersky Lab cyber-security firm products within three months as the company faces increased scrutiny over suspected ties to the Russian security services.

In July, the Trump administration removed Kaspersky from the list of state agencies’ software vendors, citing concerns Russian authorities could infiltrate U.S. government networks using Kaspersky's anti-virus products or other software.

The agencies and departments have now been given one month to map their use of Kaspersky products and three months to begin their removal, the U.S. Homeland Security Department (DHS) said in an online statement on Wednesday.

“The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security,” the statement said.

Kaspersky, which is headquartered in Moscow, in a reaction on Wednesday denied having ties to the Russian government.

"Kaspersky Lab has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyber-espionage or offensive cyber efforts,” it said, adding "it’s disconcerting that a private company can be considered guilty until proven innocent, due to geopolitical issues."</s>Brought to you by MSPmentor

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security today banned the use of Kaspersky Lab products by the federal government and gave agencies 90 days to strip out the security software from their systems.

Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 17-01 is a dramatic escalation of a months-long campaign by U.S. intelligence officials, which have expressed concern about the Moscow-based security software vendor’s close ties to Russian spy agencies.

A statement from Homeland Security said that Acting Secretary Elaine Duke determined that continued use of Kaspersky products poses an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security.

“Kaspersky 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,” DHS said in a statement.

“The Department is concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies, and requirements under Russian law that allow Russian intelligence agencies to request or compel assistance from Kaspersky and to intercept communications transiting Russian networks,” the statement continued. “The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security.”

DHS has offered Kaspersky Lab – and any other business that might be impacted by the decision – an opportunity to submit additional information that might mitigate the government’s concerns.

In an email to MSPmentor, Kaspersky Lab said it was disappointed by the decision but grateful for the chance to make its case to federal authorities.

“No credible evidence has been presented publicly by anyone or any organization as the accusations are based on false allegations and inaccurate assumptions, including claims about the impact of Russian regulations and policies on the company,” the company’s statement said. “Kaspersky Lab has always acknowledged that it provides appropriate products and services to governments around the world to protect those organizations from cyberthreats, but it does not have unethical ties or affiliations with any government, including Russia.”

Further, the company says U.S. authorities are misinterpreting Russian policies and laws.

“The laws and tools in question are applicable to telecom companies and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and contrary to the inaccurate reports, Kaspersky Lab is not subject to these laws or other government tools, including Russia’s System of Operative-Investigative Measures (SORM), since the company doesn’t provide communication services,” the Kaspersky statement said. “Also, it’s important to note that the information received by the company, as well as traffic, is protected in accordance with legal requirements and stringent industry standards, including encryption, digital certificates and more.”

The latest business headwinds come a week after the Best Buy retail chain said it would not longer sell Kaspersky Lab products.

The decision also comes at a sensitive time for Kaspersky Lab’s channel push.

In April, the company launched a new partner program for MSPs and VARs, and last month, hired a new North America channel chief.

Eric O’Neill, a former FBI counter-intelligence agent who now works as national security strategist at security software vendor Carbon Black, said that the actions of Russian intelligence are to blame for Kaspersky Lab’s woes.

“Russian Intelligence doesn't play by any rule book,” he said in an email. “If nothing is sacred to spies, and Russia's brazen spy tactics continue, I can't fault the (U.S.) Federal Government for an overabundance of caution.”

“I also hope we are wrong,” O’Neill added. “Kaspersky is great software, but I'd like to know what the U.S. Intelligence community isn't telling us.”</s>WH Lays Out Case for Why DOJ Should Consider Prosecuting James Comey

Study: 91 Percent of Trump News Coverage Over Summer Was Negative

The Department of Homeland Security has instructed federal agencies and departments to stop using products from Moscow-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab.

Officials say that the prominent company poses a threat to U.S. national security and have given government agencies and departments 90 days to get rid of Kaspersky Lab software.

“The Department is concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies, and requirements under Russian law that allow Russian intelligence agencies to request or compel assistance from Kaspersky and to intercept communications transiting Russian networks,” DHS officials said, in a statement on the “Binding Operational Directive” to agencies and departments. “The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security,” it added.

The DHS is instructing departments and agencies to identify any use Kaspersky products on their information systems in the next 30 days and to develop detailed plans to remove the software in the next 60 days. Unless directed otherwise by DHS based on new information, agencies and departments have 90 days from the date of the directive to discontinue use of Kaspersky Lab products.

The directive suggests the U.S. government puts some credence in reports that the popular antivirus company, and its founder Eugene Kaspersky, have close ties to Russian intelligence services.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H, has been pushing to prohibit the federal government from using the firm’s products. In a New York Times column earlier this month, Shaheen warned that the company poses a danger to U.S. security.

In a statement, DHS echoed this sentiment Wednesday. “The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security,” it said.

However, DHS is also providing Kaspersky Lab an opportunity to tell its side of the story via a written response to the Department’s concerns. “The Department wants to ensure that the company has a full opportunity to inform the Acting Secretary of any evidence, materials, or data that may be relevant,” it said. “This opportunity is also available to any other entity that claims its commercial interests will be directly impacted by the directive.”

In a statement sent to Fox News, Kaspersky Lab denied any involvement with the Russian government. “Given that Kaspersky Lab doesn’t have inappropriate ties with any government, the company is disappointed with the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but also is grateful for the opportunity to provide additional information to the agency in order to confirm that these allegations are completely unfounded,” it said. “No credible evidence has been presented publicly by anyone or any organization as the accusations are based on false allegations and inaccurate assumptions, including claims about the impact of Russian regulations and policies on the company.”

Security expert Alex Hamerstone said the U.S. government’s decision could have widespread implications. “This wasn't an easy action for the US government to take, and it will also have significant ramifications for corporations that use Kaspersky,” explained Hamerstone, who is the Practice Lead for the Governance, Risk, and Compliance division at security consultant TrustedSec. “Many of those companies will now feel compelled to go through their systems and remove this antivirus program, as well as conduct a risk assessment.”

Earlier this week, retailer Best Buy said it would stop selling Kaspersky software for the time being. In a tweet, Kaspersky Lab said that the two companies have “suspended” their relationship, which they said may be “re-evaluated” in the future.

Michael Borohovski, co-founder of Tinfoil Security, told Fox News that he wasn’t surprised by the Department of Homeland Security’s move. “The U.S. government has been looking at Kaspersky for years, so this announcement is no real surprise to anyone. In fact, the GSA pulled Kaspersky from its list of pre-approved vendors back in July,” he said, noting U.S. fears about potential cyber espionage. “The US has aired similar concerns about other companies, like Chinese telecom company Huawei, which is currently banned from entering the US network equipment market.”

Huawei, however, does sell phones in the U.S. consumer market.

'He's Not a General': Rep. Luis Gutierrez Hits Back at 'Mean' John Kelly</s>The Trump administration on Wednesday told U.S. government agencies to remove Kaspersky Lab products from their networks, saying it was concerned the Moscow-based cyber security firm was vulnerable to Kremlin influence and that using its anti-virus software could jeopardize national security.

The decision represents a sharp response to what U.S. intelligence agencies have described as a national security threat posed by Russia in cyberspace, following an election year marred by allegations that Moscow weaponized the internet in an attempt to influence its outcome.

In a statement, Kaspersky Lab rejected the allegations, as it has done repeatedly in recent months, and said its critics were misinterpreting Russian data-sharing laws that only applied to communications services.

'No credible evidence has been presented publicly by anyone or any organization as the accusations are based on false allegations and inaccurate assumptions,' the company said.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a directive to federal agencies ordering them to identify Kaspersky products on their information systems within 30 days and begin to discontinue their use within 90 days.

The order applies only to civilian government agencies and not the Pentagon, but U.S. intelligence leaders said earlier this year that Kaspersky was already generally not allowed on military networks.

In a statement accompanying its directive, DHS said it was 'concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies, and requirements under Russian law that allow Russian intelligence agencies to request or compel assistance from Kaspersky and to intercept communications transiting Russian networks.'

It continued: 'The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security.'

The department said it would provide Kaspersky with the opportunity to submit a written response to address the allegations. The agency said other entities claiming commercial interests affected by the directive could also submit information

Kaspersky Lab has repeatedly denied that it has ties to any government and said it would not help a government with cyber espionage.

However, the company has not been able to shake off the allegations.

Last week, Best Buy Co, the No.1 U.S. electronics retailer, said it was pulling Kaspersky Lab´s cyber security products from its shelves and website.

Rob Joyce, the White House cyber security coordinator, said Wednesday at the Billington CyberSecurity Summit that the Trump administration made a 'risk-based decision' to order Kaspersky Lab's products removed from federal agencies.

Asked by Reuters whether there was a smoking gun showing Kaspersky Lab had provided intelligence to the Russian government, Joyce replied: 'As we evaluated the technology, we decided it was a risk we couldn´t accept.'

Some cyber security experts have warned that blacklisting Kaspersky Lab could prompt a retaliation from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Joyce said those concerns were a factor but that a 'tough decision' ultimately had to be made to protect government systems.

The direct financial impact of the decision will likely be minimal for Kaspersky Lab, one of the world's leading anti-virus software companies, which was founded in 1997 and now counts over 400 million global customers.

Federal contracting databases reviewed by Reuters show only a few hundred thousand dollars in purchases from Kaspersky, and an employee told Reuters in July the company´s federal government revenue was 'miniscule.'

But Kaspersky also sells to federal contractors and third-party software companies that incorporate its technology in their products, so its technology may be more widely used in government than it appears from the contracting databases, U.S. officials say.

The decision by the Trump administration came as the U.S. Senate was planning to vote as soon as this week on a defense policy spending bill that includes language that would ban Kaspersky Lab products from being used by U.S. government agencies.

Democratic U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who had led efforts in Congress to crack down on Kaspersky Lab, applauded the Trump administration's announcement.

'The strong ties between Kaspersky Lab and the Kremlin are alarming and well-documented,' Shaheen said, adding that she expected Congress to act soon to reinforce the decision by passing legislation.

Also on Wednesday, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar wrote to DHS asking whether the agency used Kaspersky products in relation to any critical infrastructure, such as election equipment, banks or energy suppliers, and if it knew whether any voting systems used the company's software.

Eugene Kaspersky, the company's co-founder and chief executive, attended a KGB school, and the company has acknowledged doing work for the Russian intelligence agency known as the FSB.

But he has adamantly denied charges his company conducts espionage on behalf of the Russian government.</s>“The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security,” Ms. Duke said in a statement.

Kaspersky said it was disappointed with the Homeland Security’s decision and denied any ties to the Russian government.

“No credible evidence has been presented publicly by anyone or any organization as the accusations are based on false allegations and inaccurate assumptions, including claims about the impact of Russian regulations and policies on the company,” Kaspersky said in a statement.

Homeland Security officials say they will give Kaspersky an opportunity to submit written responses addressing the department’s concerns or efforts to address those concerns.

It is not clear how widespread the use of Kaspersky software is inside American government systems, which tend be a jumbled-together collection of often-aging software and hardware.

Kaspersky executives have repeatedly denied that the company has ties to any government and said it would not help Russia or any other government with cyberespionage, including Russia’s interference into last year’s presidential election. American officials have said that Russian hackers targeted the election systems in at least 21 states.

Kaspersky has figured elsewhere in the Russia-Trump saga.

Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser was paid $11,250 by Kaspersky Government Security Solutions, an American branch of Kaspersky Lab, for a speaking engagement.

Despite its denials, the company has not been able to overcome American allegations about its ties to the Kremlin.

The Senate is voting this week on a defense-spending bill that would ban Kaspersky Lab products from being used by American government agencies. And Best Buy, the electronics giant, announced last week that it was pulling Kaspersky Lab’s cybersecurity products from its shelves and website.

Other technology companies have come under fire as investigators look into Russian election interference.

Suspected Russian operators used Twitter and Facebook to spread anti-Hillary Clinton messages during the campaign and to promote the hacked material they had leaked. Research at the cybersecurity firm FireEye found that on both social media platforms, Russian fingerprints are on hundreds or thousands of fake accounts that regularly posted anti-Clinton messages.

Many were automated Twitter accounts, called bots, researchers said, that fired off identical messages seconds apart. On Election Day, for instance, they found that one group of Twitter bots sent out the hashtag #WarAgainstDemocrats more than 1,700 times.</s>even expressed his readiness to reveal the source code for its software to the US government in order to dispel all allegations of its perceived links to Russian intelligence

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered all government agencies to "develop plans to remove" all "information security products, solutions, and services" produced by Kaspersky Lab, the Russian multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider.The DHS issued a Binding Operational Directive (BOD) that calls "on departments and agencies to identify any use or presence of Kaspersky products on their information systems" and "to develop detailed plans to remove and discontinue present and future use of the products," giving them 90 days to comply with the order.The DHS further explained that its decision ispresented by the use of Kaspersky products on federal information systems." It added thatto compromise those information systems."US authorities also believe that "certain Kaspersky officials", providing an opportunity for US security to be "compromised.""The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates US national security," a DHS statement issued Wednesday reads.It also afforded "an opportunity for Kaspersky to submit a written response addressing the department's concerns or to mitigate those concerns."In recent months, Kaspersky Lab been subjected to increased scrutiny by US law enforcement agencies and Congress., citing security reasons.The move comes less than a day after Bloomberg magazine published an article, accusing the Moscow-based world cybersecurity leader of having close ties to Russia's security service, the FSB.The firm then issued a statement in which it said it had never launched DDoS attacks on behalf of the Russian government or any other entity. It further denied that it ever assisted government agencies in tracing and hunting down people.Kaspersky Lab reiterated that it "has no ties to any government"and is a victim of a political battle.Facing intense pressure from US authorities, company CEO, Eugene Kaspersky"If the United States needs, we can disclose the source code," he told AP in early July, adding that he would do "anything he can" to "prove that we [the Kaspersky Lab] don't behave maliciously."Remarkably, the head of Kaspersky Lab's computer incidents investigations unit, Ruslan Stoyanov, was charged in Russia in February 2017 over "treason in favor of the US" together with two FSB officers.</s>Three months after the General Services Administration removed Kaspersky Lab from a list of approved federal vendors, Homeland Security is banning the Russian security software maker outright. In a statement on Wednesday, DHS Acting Secretary Elaine Duke directed all Executive Branch agencies and departments to identify over the next 30 days any Kaspersky products being used, make a plan in the next 60 days to eliminate their use and begin that discontinuation within 90 days.

“The Department is concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies, and requirements under Russian law that allow Russian intelligence agencies to request or compel assistance from Kaspersky and to intercept communications transiting Russian networks,” DHS said in its directive.

“The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security.”

At the end of its full statement on the issue, available here, DHS states that it will allow Kaspersky and “any other entity that claims its commercial interests will be directly impacted” to submit a written argument along with any evidence or data that could offset the U.S. government’s concerns.

Kaspersky fired back at the decision with its own statement, available in full below:

Given that Kaspersky Lab doesn’t have inappropriate ties with any government, the company is disappointed with the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but also is grateful for the opportunity to provide additional information to the agency in order to confirm that these allegations are completely unfounded. No credible evidence has been presented publicly by anyone or any organization as the accusations are based on false allegations and inaccurate assumptions, including claims about the impact of Russian regulations and policies on the company. Kaspersky Lab has always acknowledged that it provides appropriate products and services to governments around the world to protect those organizations from cyberthreats, but it does not have unethical ties or affiliations with any government, including Russia. In addition, more than 85 percent of its revenue comes from outside of Russia, which further demonstrates that working inappropriately with any government would be detrimental to the company’s bottom line. These ongoing accusations also ignore the fact that Kaspersky Lab has a 20-year history in the IT security industry of always abiding by the highest ethical business practices and trustworthy technology development. Regarding the Russian polices and laws being misinterpreted, the laws and tools in question are applicable to telecom companies and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and contrary to the inaccurate reports, Kaspersky Lab is not subject to these laws or other government tools, including Russia’s System of Operative-Investigative Measures (SORM), since the company doesn’t provide communication services. Also, it’s important to note that the information received by the company, as well as traffic, is protected in accordance with legal requirements and stringent industry standards, including encryption, digital certificates and more. Kaspersky Lab has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyberespionage or offensive cyber efforts, and it’s disconcerting that a private company can be considered guilty until proven innocent, due to geopolitical issues. The company looks forward to working with DHS, as Kaspersky Lab ardently believes a deeper examination of the company will substantiate that these allegations are without merit.

While the new steps from DHS are a strong statement on its suspicions, the truth is murkier. Given the controversy over Kaspersky’s rumored but never clearly substantiated closeness with Russian intelligence, the move might just be erring on the side of caution. Still, to purge Kaspersky products altogether in such a public way sends a strong message, but who the message is to or what if anything it’s actually rooted in remains far from clear.</s>The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to ban federal agencies and departments from using products from Moscow-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab comes as no surprise, say security experts.

Officials say that the prominent company poses a threat to U.S. national security and have given government agencies and departments 90 days to get rid of Kaspersky Lab software.

“The Department is concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies, and requirements under Russian law that allow Russian intelligence agencies to request or compel assistance from Kaspersky and to intercept communications transiting Russian networks,” DHS officials said, in a statement on the “Binding Operational Directive” Wednesday. “The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security,” it added.

Security experts told Fox News that they were not surprised by the DHS move.

“The US government has a duty to protect its information, and we can assume that this decision is based on careful consideration and evidence, some or much of which they have not made public,” said Alex Hamerstone, Practice Lead for the Governance, Risk, and Compliance division at security consultant TrustedSec, in an email sent to Fox News. “While I don’t have insight into the dealings of the Russian government and Kaspersky, we’ve seen in the news over the last few years that US companies regularly cooperate with US intelligence agencies … why would we think that this isn’t happening in other countries too?”

“The U.S. government has been looking at Kaspersky for years, so this announcement is no real surprise to anyone. In fact, the GSA pulled Kaspersky from its list of pre-approved vendors back in July,” added Michael Borohovski, co-founder of Tinfoil Security, noting U.S. fears about potential cyber espionage. “The US has aired similar concerns about other companies, like Chinese telecom company Huawei, which is currently banned from entering the US network equipment market.”

Huawei, however, does sell phones in the U.S. consumer market.

The DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate told Fox News that it does not currently have data on how much Kaspersky software is being across the U.S. government. As part of its directive, the DHS is instructing departments and agencies to identify any use of Kaspersky products on their information systems in the next 30 days and to develop detailed plans to remove the software in the next 60 days. Unless directed otherwise by DHS based on new information, agencies and departments have 90 days from the date of the directive to discontinue use of Kaspersky Lab products.

The directive suggests the U.S. government puts some credence in reports that the popular antivirus company, and its founder Eugene Kaspersky, have close ties to Russian intelligence services.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H, has been pushing to prohibit the federal government from using the firm’s products. In a New York Times column earlier this month, Shaheen warned that the company poses a danger to U.S. national security.

Shaheen welcomed the DHS move in a tweet on Wed. “Applaud DHS for heeding my call to remove all Kaspersky products from fed agencies. Kaspersky is a direct threat to national security,” she tweeted.

However, DHS is also providing Kaspersky Lab an opportunity to tell its side of the story via a written response to the Department’s concerns. “The Department wants to ensure that the company has a full opportunity to inform the Acting Secretary of any evidence, materials, or data that may be relevant,” it said. “This opportunity is also available to any other entity that claims its commercial interests will be directly impacted by the directive.”

In a statement sent to Fox News, Kaspersky Lab denied any involvement with the Russian government. “Given that Kaspersky Lab doesn’t have inappropriate ties with any government, the company is disappointed with the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but also is grateful for the opportunity to provide additional information to the agency in order to confirm that these allegations are completely unfounded,” it said. “No credible evidence has been presented publicly by anyone or any organization as the accusations are based on false allegations and inaccurate assumptions, including claims about the impact of Russian regulations and policies on the company.”

Eugene Kaspersky also tweeted in response to the DHS directive. “I guess this explains it all “Guilty ‘til proven innocent, jailed ‘til you clear your name” Welcome to 21st century,” he wrote Thursday.

TrustedSec’s Hamerstone said the DHS move could have widespread implications. “This wasn’t an easy action for the US government to take, and it will also have significant ramifications for corporations that use Kaspersky,” explained Hamerstone, who is the Practice Lead for the Governance, Risk, and Compliance division at security consultant TrustedSec. “Many of those companies will now feel compelled to go through their systems and remove this antivirus program, as well as conduct a risk assessment.”

Earlier this week, retailer Best Buy said it would stop selling Kaspersky software for the time being. In a tweet, Kaspersky Lab said that the two companies have “suspended” their relationship, which they said may be “re-evaluated” in the future.
United States Homeland Security bans Kaspersky Lab products from government computers due to fears they could be coerced into sharing information with the Russian government.