Australia is following the example of other countries and banning the installation of Kaspersky security software, citing national security concerns.
“Following threat and risk analysis, I have determined that the use of Kaspersky Lab, Inc. web products and services by Australian Government entities poses an unacceptable security risk to the government, Australian networks and data,” said Stephanie Foster PSM, Secretary, Department of Home Affairs.
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Foster pointed out that entities are responsible for managing the risks arising from Kaspersky's extensive data collection.
Under the new directive (002-2025) issued by the Australian government on Friday, entities are prohibited from installing Kaspersky products and web services on government systems and devices. They are also required to remove existing software by April 1, 2025.
Companies can request an exemption for using the software if there is a “legitimate business reason.” However, they must demonstrate that measures are in place to avoid risks. Such exemptions must be time-limited and comply with rules imposed by law enforcement authorities.
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It is worth noting that in late June 2024, the US also banned Kaspersky from selling its software and products in the country or issuing updates to existing customers. The company exited the US market in mid-July 2024.
According to statements by Gina Raimondo of the Ministry of Commerce, this was a government decision aimed at protecting national security.
“Russia has repeatedly shown that it has the ability and intent to exploit Russian companies, like Kaspersky Lab, to collect sensitive U.S. intelligence. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect U.S. national security and the American people.“.
See also: Australia: Bans DeepSeek on government devices
For its part, Kaspersky has denied any ties to the Russian government. But the US believes that due to the cyber capabilities and the Russian government's ability to influence Kaspersky's operations, there was no other way to mitigate the risk, other than a complete ban on the company's services and software.
Source: thehackernews.com
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