The Lithuanian government has decided to ban security software developed by Moscow-based Kaspersky over concerns that the company is involved in cyber espionage campaigns.
Specifically, Lithuanian authorities recently announced that Kaspersky must be removed from computers operating in the energy, finance, and transportation departments, including those used by private companies.
The government says the decision comes because Kaspersky is now considered a "potential threat to national security," explaining that its software is only allowed to run on computers that do not work with sensitive data, provided permission is first granted by the company's cybersecurity department.
It should be recalled that Kaspersky security software was recently banned by the US government as Donald Trump signed a bill requiring government departments to remove Kaspersky's security program as soon as possible.
Another country that followed the same tactic due to espionage concerns is the United Kingdom, although in this case the country agreed to work with Kaspersky to address the problem.
For its part, the security company denies any possible connection to the Kremlin, explaining that the decision to ban its software was made mainly due to a "geopolitical battle.".
"Given that we have no disagreement with any government, this decision by the Lithuanian authorities is disappointing. It seems that our company has become embroiled in a geopolitical battle without any evidence that we are untrustworthy," a Kaspersky spokesperson said.
