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. “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. 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." “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.”

Security expert Alex Hamerstone said the U.S. government’s decision could have widespread implications.
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.