Kaspersky has a long and difficult path ahead if
it wants to clear its name. The US House of Representatives Committee on
Science, Space and Technology has just asked 22
government agencies for all the documents and communications they have about
Kaspersky Lab products, staring from January 1st, 2013 until today. It wants to
see their internal risk assessments, the lists of all the systems they're using
loaded with Kaspersky products and the lists of their contractors and
subcontractors that use the cyber security company's offerings.
According to Reuters, the panel's
chairman explained that the Congress is requesting for all those documents,
because it's "concerned that Kaspersky Lab is susceptible to manipulation
by the Russian government, and that its products could be used as a tool for
espionage, sabotage or other nefarious activities against the United
States." All Cabinet-level agencies received the request, including NASA,
the EPA and Homeland Security.
There were always doubts about Kaspersky Lab's antivirus
software due to the tense relationship between the US and Russia. However, the
company has had to face an increasing number of accusations in recent months. Bloomberg,
for instance, says it got its hands on internal company emails proving that
Kaspersky develops products for Russian intelligence and
accompanies Russian police when they conduct raids. The US government also kicked the
cyber security firm off its list of approved IT vendors.
The panel has given
the agencies until August 11th to hand over the documents it's requesting. One
of its aides told Reuters that this is just the beginning of
what could be a lengthy investigation, and if the team finds anything
questionable, then "more action may follow."
(source yahoo.com and edited by Increase Chisom)
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