Kaspersky is having Twitter Trouble - U.S. government orders federal agencies to remove the antivirus.

Dutch Government Removes Kaspersky After Fears of Digital Espionage

Issues for Kaspersky Continue to Snowball…

Kaspersky digital espionage in the news. The Dutch government released a statement on May 14, 2018 stating they would be phasing out the use of Kaspersky Labs products on government devices, due to the “national security risks” the software presents.  According to CNET, Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus wrote a letter to Parliament stating the Russian government has an “active offensive cyber program that focuses on the Netherlands and the Netherlands’ interests”.  In addition, the Netherlands have concluded the ties between the security software company and the Russian government pose security risks.  Grapperhaus reported to The Dutch News,

‘This combination of factors has led the government to conclude that there is a risk of digital espionage and sabotage against the government and vital services,’ the minister said.

At this time, there is no evidence suggesting Kaspersky products have been abused in the Netherlands; although, Grapperhaus believes this preventative approach is necessary.  Not only has the government began moving away from the Russian-based security software, but they’ve also began urging Dutch companies with sensitive data to do the same.

This news comes just weeks after the U.S. began considering sanctioning Kaspersky products, and just before the Russian security company announced they would be moving parts of its core business functions out of Russia to Switzerland.

Is Kaspersky Crumbling?  Here’s the Timeline

  • May, 2017 – Marco Rubio asks Senate Intelligence Committee if they would be willing to use Kaspersky on their devices — overwhelming consensus was “No”.
  • July, 2017 – Legislation worked towards banning Kaspersky products on military devices
  • July, 2017 – Russians Communication Minister made threats against American software and hardware companies, if legislation banning Kaspersky were to pass
  • August, 2017 – U.S. Government urges the private sector to remove Kaspersky Labs products
  • August, 2017 – U.S. Government confirms ties between Kaspersky Labs and Russian Intelligence
  • September, 2017 – U.S. major electronics retailers, including Best Buy and Office Depot, drop Kaspersky products from their shelves
  • September, 2017 – West Virginia University drops Kaspersky as their security provider
  • September, 2017 – U.S. government ordered federal agencies to remove Kaspersky products on all devices
  • October, 2017 – Allegations were reported the Kremlin used Kaspersky security products to obtain confidential NSA data
  • October, 2017 – Reports claim Israel warned the U.S. of Kaspersky after hacking its network
  • December, 2017 – Kaspersky files a lawsuit against the U.S. regarding the congressional ban of Kaspersky products.
  • March, 2018 – Department of Justice moves to dismiss the Kaspersky lawsuit
  • April, 2018 – Twitter bans Kaspersky ads from its social media platform
  • April, 2018 – U.S. considers sanctioning Kaspersky products
  • May, 2018 – Dutch Government ceases use of Kaspersky Labs products to avoid digital espionage
  • May, 2018 – Kaspersky announced it would be moving key business features out of Russia, relocating to Switzerland
  • May, 2018 – Judge dismisses Kaspersky’s filings to overturn U.S. ban

Read more about the Kaspersky Scandal online.

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