After the President Donald Trump banned the use of Kaspersky Lab products in US federal agencies, Lithuania is the next country to prohibit the cyber security company’s software.
Yesterday, the Lithuanian authorities reported that they will ban using Kaspersky Lab’s software from computers managing key energy, finance and transport systems due to security concerns.
Earlier this year, the Moscow-based company’s products were banned from US government networks due to accusations that Kaspersky has helped Russian spies to steal top secret information.
“The government… recognised that Kaspersky Lab software is a potential national security threat,” the Baltic EU state’s defence ministry stated.
The government agencies responsible for “critical infrastructure” must replace the popular anti-virus software in “a short while”, the ministry added.
A while ago, the Lithuanian intelligence chief Darius Jauniskis said Kaspersky Lab “was sometimes acting as a toy in the hands of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s administration”.
The cyber security company has repeatedly denied having any inappropriate ties with the Kremlin and said that the malware-infected Microsoft Office software and not its own was responsible for the hacking theft of American intelligence materials.
Yesterday, Kaspersky Lab told Russian media that they were “disappointed” and assured customers they “do not have to worry because they have not been subjected to any violation from our company.”
“The Kaspersky laboratory has never helped nor will it ever assist any state in the world to engage in cyber-espionage or to conduct cyber-attacks,” the company stated. “The Kaspersky laboratory has no political connection or affiliation with any government.”
