NATIONAL NEWS

Kaspersky to shutter US operations after its software is banned by Commerce Department, citing risk

Jul 16, 2024, 8:02 AM

FILE - The sign is seen above the headquarters of Kaspersky Lab in Moscow, Jan. 30, 2017. Beginning...

FILE - The sign is seen above the headquarters of Kaspersky Lab in Moscow, Jan. 30, 2017. Beginning July 25, 2024, the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky said it will begin to "gradually wind down" all of its operations in the United States, just weeks after the Commerce Department banned the use of the company's software in the country. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky says it’s shutting down all of its operations in the United States, just weeks after the Commerce Department banned the use of the company’s software in the country.

Kaspersky will “gradually wind down” its U.S. operations starting July 20, according to a statement from the Moscow company. Positions based in the U.S. will also be eliminated, the company said, without immediately confirming how many employees would be let go.

“Kaspersky has been operating in the U.S. for close to 20 years, contributing to the nation’s strategic cybersecurity goals by safeguarding organizations and individuals in the country from ever-evolving cyberthreats,” Kaspersky stated. “The company has carefully examined and evaluated the impact of the U.S. legal requirements and made this sad and difficult decision as business opportunities in the country are no longer viable.”

Last month, the Commerce Department announced a ban on sales of Kaspersky software in the U.S. The government arguing the company’s Russian connections pose an “undue or unacceptable risk to U.S. national security or the safety and security.”

Aside from Kaspersky’s obligation to abide by Russian law, its software can be exploited to identify sensitive data of U.S. citizens and make it available to Russian government actors, the department said in a decision dated June 14.

Kaspersky has vehemently denied that it is a security threat. In a June 21 response to the Commerce Department’s decision, the company said it cannot deliberately obtain sensitive data on Americans and that its operations and employees in Russia can only access aggregate or statistical data not attributable to a specific person.

The company also argued that the government had based its decision on the “geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns” rather than independently verifying risk. Kaspersky said that the decision by the U.S. would benefit cybercriminals, while also diminishing consumer choice.

The department said it had considered Kaspersky’s objections to the initial findings of its investigation, but found that the decision to ban its software was “well supported.”

Kaspersky boasts one of the world’s most popular consumer antivirus products and a research unit widely respected for routinely exposing elite hacking groups. In the company’s announcement this week, Kaspersky said its “business remains resilient” and that its priority to “protect our customers in any country from cyberthreats” was unchanged.

Journalist Kim Zetter first reported the news of the company shutting down its U.S. operations on Monday.

National News

FILE - Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill, July 22, 2024, in Washingt...

Associated Press

Trump asks Rep. Mike Waltz, China hawk, to be his national security adviser

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has asked U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, a person familiar with the matter said Monday. The nod came despite simmering concerns on Capitol Hill about Trump tapping members of the House, where the final tally […]

1 hour ago

FILE - Beyonce, left, accepts the Innovator Award during the iHeartRadio Music Awards, April 1, 202...

Associated Press

Queen Bey and Yale: The Ivy League university is set to offer a course on Beyoncé and her legacy

With a record 99 Grammy nominations and acclaim as one of the most influential artists in music history, pop superstar Beyoncé and her expansive cultural legacy will be the subject of a new course at Yale University next year. Titled “Beyoncé Makes History: Black Radical Tradition, Culture, Theory & Politics Through Music,” the one-credit class […]

2 hours ago

FILE - Genesis Lopez, 21, speaks with Santa Ana, Calif. resident Eduardo Entimio, 23, on Wednesday,...

Associated Press

Voters in California city reject measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local races

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Voters in a Southern California city rejected a measure that would have allowed residents who aren’t U.S. citizens to vote in local elections. Measure DD was rejected by 60% of the voters in Santa Ana, a city of about 310,000 in Orange County that’s southeast of Los Angeles, the Los […]

2 hours ago

FILE - Shoppers and pedestrians walk past a window display at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, Dec. 1...

Associated Press

Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday light display in Manhattan changing up this season

NEW YORK (AP) — Dazzling displays of synchronized lights on the facade of Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship store in midtown Manhattan have thrilled holiday visitors for years. But the store’s holiday display will look a bit different this year, a spokesperson confirmed Monday. “In our 100th year, which also marks the anniversary of the flagship, […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

US military strikes Iranian-backed militia targets in Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. struck nine targets at two locations in Syria Monday to hit Iranian-aligned militias that had launched attacks on U.S. personnel over the last 24 hours, U.S. Central Command said. No U.S. personnel were injured in the attacks, but as of late Monday the Pentagon did not provide further details on […]

3 hours ago

Virginia Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat running for Virginia's 10th House seat, talks with vote...

Associated Press

Candidates line up for special elections to replace Virginia senators recently elected to US House

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — One of two special elections was announced Monday to replace Virginia state senators who were recently elected to the U.S. House, and candidates are already lining up to take over the seats. State Sens. John McGuire and Suhas Subramanyam landed the congressional wins on Election Day. That means there are vacant […]

3 hours ago

Kaspersky to shutter US operations after its software is banned by Commerce Department, citing risk