The Biden administration ramped up a national security probe into Russia’s AO Kaspersky Lab antivirus software earlier this year amid heightened fears of Russian cyberattacks after Moscow invaded Ukraine, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The case was referred to the Commerce Department by the Department of Justice last year, a fourth person said, but Commerce made little progress on it until the White House and other administration officials urged them to move forward in March, the three people added. At issue is the risk that the Kremlin could use the antivirus software, which has privileged access to a computer’s systems, to steal sensitive information from American computers or tamper with them as tensions escalate between Moscow and the West. Access to the networks of federal contractors and operators of critical U.S. infrastructure such as power grids are seen as particularly concerning, the three people said.
Full story : Ukraine War Spurs U.S. to Ramp up Security Probe of Software Maker Kaspersky.
