WASHINGTON — Computer systems at 15
In July, the General Services Administration removed Kaspersky from its list of approved federal vendors. In September, the Homeland Security Department directed all U.S. federal agencies and departments to stop using products or services supplied directly or indirectly by the Russian-owned and operated company.
About 94
"Out of all the federal agencies, a small number have identified the use or presence, in some aspect of their systems, of Kaspersky-branded products — about 15
The software must be removed from all information systems by mid-December.
Kaspersky has repeatedly insisted that it does not have unethical ties or affiliations with any government, including Russia's. The company has stated that it has never helped any government in the world with its cyberespionage or offensive cyber efforts.
The DHS directive provided Kaspersky an opportunity to respond or mitigate the department's concerns.
The department gave the company a one-week extension to the Nov. 3 deadline. It received a "significant" response on Friday, Manfra said, adding that it was being reviewed by department lawyers.
She said the lawyers have told her the directive was legal, but she also mentioned the possibility that Kaspersky could file a lawsuit against the government over the ban.
The chief executive of the software company, Eugene Kaspersky, is a mathematical engineer who attended a KGB-sponsored school and once worked for the
At a Senate intelligence committee hearing in May, top U.S. officials were asked whether they would be comfortable with Kaspersky software on their computers.
"No" was the reply given by then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Director Robert Cardillo and then-
Deb Riechmann, The Associated Press