US retailer Best Buy has pulled from its shelves Kaspersky Lab’s PC security software amid fears of Kremlin spies using the antivirus tool to snoop on Americans — even though there is no concrete evidence to indicate that the security software is a threat.
In an exchange with UK’s The Register, the store chain confirmed its decision, but declined to comment on the reasons for the ban.
“Kaspersky Lab has enjoyed a decade-long partnership with Best Buy and its customer base, and will continue to offer its industry-leading cybersecurity solutions to consumers through its website and other retailers,” the cyber security company told The Register.
“The relationship may be re-evaluated in the future,” Kaspersky Lab hopes.
Meanwhile US Senator Jeanne Shaheen introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would ban Kaspersky software from any federal computer, following on from her earlier ban on the software being used by the Department of Defense.
Western cybersecurity circles are not unanimous in this matter. Philipp Chertoff, a research fellow at the EU/NATO policy think tank GLOBSEC Policy Institute, believes that the US Government should not ban Kaspersky security software.
“If the US government has concerns beyond mere association with foreign intelligence services, if it truly believes certain technology products maintain vulnerabilities for foreign governments, officials should work with firms to provide a transparent process for reviewing such issues. Kaspersky has indicated its willingness to submit its products to review,” the cyber security researcher wrote.
