US weighs action against Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab -WSJ

Reuters
Updated ·1 min read
3

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Commerce is weighing an enforcement action against Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing people familiar with the matter.

President Joe Biden's administration is looking at an enforcement action against the company under its online security rules, the report said.

The administration ramped up its national security probe into Kaspersky Lab's antivirus software last year as fears grew about Russian cyberattacks after Moscow invaded Ukraine.

U.S. regulators have already banned federal government use of Kaspersky software.

The U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, when asked for a comment on the report, said it does not comment on any potential company specific actions.

The department "is committed to fully exercising its authorities to protect Americans' sensitive data, and to working with Congress in a bipartisan way to adapt to evolving risks", it said.

Kaspersky Labs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The reported enforcement action on Kaspersky follows the introduction of a new U.S. legislation that would allow the White House to ban China based TikTok or other foreign-based technologies if they pose a national security risk.

(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by David Gregorio, Kirsten Donovan)