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US Senators Seek Military Ban on Kaspersky Lab Products Amid FBI Probe (reuters.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: U.S. senators sought on Wednesday to ban Moscow-based cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab's products from use by the military because of fears the company is vulnerable to "Russian government influence," a day after the FBI interviewed several of its U.S. employees as part of a probe into its operations. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents visited the homes of Kaspersky employees late on Tuesday in multiple U.S. cities, although no search warrants were served, according to two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the FBI probe. Kaspersky Lab confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that FBI agents have had "brief interactions" with some of its U.S. employees, discussions that the company described as "due diligence" chats. The interviews were followed on Wednesday by the release of a defense spending policy bill passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee, which would prohibit the U.S. Defense Department from using Kaspersky software platforms because the company "might be vulnerable to Russian government influence," according to a summary of the legislation.

15 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. wait... by Frederic54 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    the US military is using russian based software? you kidding me?

    --
    "Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
    1. Re:wait... by 605dave · · Score: 2

      I know. It's always seemed odd to me that anyone would use Russian anti-spy ware (from a US point of view, if I were Russian I wouldn't use US services). That's a whole lot of trust to put in somebody, much less a political adversary.

      --
      Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a difficult battle. - Plato
    2. Re:wait... by Presence+Eternal · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's also using silicon fabricated in China and hiring Millenials.

    3. Re:wait... by Captain+Splendid · · Score: 3, Interesting

      "The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." - V.I. Lenin

      --
      Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
  2. Guilt by being Russian. by SYSS+Mouse · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That's all.

    1. Re:Guilt by being Russian. by swb · · Score: 4, Informative

      Maybe some of that, but the difference between that and Cisco being "guilty for being American" because of NSA hijacking shipments and hacking their hardware is what?

      The reality is that a Russian company is far more vulnerable to kinds of influence that would be outright illegal and American companies have the luxury of being able to open resist explicit efforts to compromise their systems and organizations in an actual judicial system.

      Sure, there's all kinds of secret FISA courts and national security leverage the US government can use, but Tim Cook isn't going to the gulag for telling the FBI and NSA to bugger off. A Russian company is far more vulnerable to what really are mafia tactics.

  3. Better idea. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why not just cut to the heart of the issue and impose a ban on Microsoft products?

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:Better idea. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      The communist menace hasn't changed in the last 100 years.

      Thank God for J. Edgar Hoover and Senator Joseph McCarthy. They knew how to deal with traitors.

      If Kaspersky employees are traitors, give them the Rosenberg treatment.

      If we are going to have a "witch-hunt", let's reactivate the House Un-American Activities Committee and burn the real witches in this country.

      It's time to get rid of them and their fake news, for good.

      Make America great again!

  4. Too late? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

    If Kaspersky is corrupt and letting Russian malware through (and I'm not saying they are, they're probably legit) could it be a little late?

    If Kaspersky were rotten and letting Russian Malware through, then that software would already be installed and hooked into the computers. Sure, getting rid of Kaspersky may help new computers not be infected, but if they were bad, then the military is already infiltrated to a degree.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    1. Re:Too late? by Rockoon · · Score: 2, Funny

      By that Logic, so are the Clintons.

      --
      "His name was James Damore."
  5. Re:Russian software by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 3, Funny

    *sigh* Are you Finnished?

    My grandmother was 100% Finnish. Instead of telling people to "Go to Hell!", she would say "Go to Russia!" :-D

    --
    Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
  6. Re:Russia, the saga continues... by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Other countries have the right to not purchase US products if they are afraid that it would be used against their own personal benefit.

    Countries like Russia with their 3 letter agencies, seems be near a lot missing people who seemed to happen to say something that they don't like.

    While in America, we can bitch and complain about anything, including the President. Without fear of disappearing the next day.

    For the most part and the US isn't at all perfect at it, the US 3 Letter Agencies are actually focused on National Security, not keeping the current political party in good standings.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  7. Embrace it by qbast · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am using operating system from USA, antivirus from Russia and backup program from China. This way I have achieved multiple, geographically diverse backups for all my important data. I still need to test the recovery process though.

    1. Re:Embrace it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I am using operating system from USA, antivirus from Russia and backup program from China. This way I have achieved multiple, geographically diverse backups for all my important data. I still need to test the recovery process though.

      Your USA operating system was likely written in India as an added diversity bonus.

  8. This is the best endorsement for using Kaspersky by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is the best endorsement for using Kaspersky ie. the US government is/was using them despite their being Russian. Also, lets be real...everyone already knows they are the best but this just about confirms it.