CYBERWAR/DHS/RUSSIA: “In a move likely to escalate tensions between Washington and Moscow, the Department of Homeland Security has ordered all federal agencies to stop using software made by the Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, citing concerns that the Moscow-based firm’s software could give the Kremlin a foothold in the U.S. government.
The directive gives federal agencies 90 days to start removing the software from their networks…
Russia indicated in June that it might retaliate if the U.S. took such a step. Washington and Moscow are already engaged in an mushrooming back-and-forth over Russia’s alleged cyberattacks targeting last year’s presidential election. The U.S. slapped sanctions on Moscow and evicted scores of the country’s diplomats, prompting the Kremlin to curtail the number of American diplomats in Russia.
Rumors have long swirled around Kaspersky and its possible links to the Kremlin. The company’s founder, Eugene Kaspersky, and several other top employees are former Russian intelligence officers. And recent reports have alleged the company has links to the Kremlin — something Kaspersky vehemently denies.
Still, the intelligence community and many lawmakers have been worried about Kaspersky for years because of these possible ties. Those fears have only heightened after U.S. intelligence officials accused Moscow of orchestrating a massive digital campaign meant to undermine the 2016 U.S. election.”
-Eric Geller, “DHS bars government from using Russia-based Kaspersky software,” Politico, Sept. 13, 2017 02:19pm