Company wants court to overturn Trump software ban

Dec 19, 2017 08:52 GMT  ·  By

The Kaspersky versus the US saga continues with a new episode, as the Russian security vendor has filed an appeal in federal court to overturn the ban blocking its software from being used on civilian government agencies computers.

After the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked agencies to remove Kaspersky software within 90 days due to risks of Russian cyber-espionage, President Donald Trump earlier this month signed a bill that forbids the government to use antivirus technology developed by the Moscow-based firm.

Kaspersky denied all claims of ties with Kremlin, offering instead to have its source code inspected by a third-party company. The US government, however, said this would be helpful to demonstrate that Kaspersky isn’t working with Russia, it’s still not enough to prove its software is safe to install on government computers.

“DHS has harmed Kaspersky Lab’s reputation and its commercial operations without any evidence of wrongdoing by the company. Therefore, it is in Kaspersky Lab’s interest to defend itself in this matter,” the security vendor said in a statement.

Kaspersky wants its software on government computers

Kaspersky has also published the letters it sent to the DHS in its attempt to address spying concerns, emphasizing that it offered to work with US authorities on demonstrating the integrity of its products.

“Given Kaspersky Lab’s longstanding commitment to transparency, the trustworthy development of its technologies and solutions, and cooperation with governments worldwide and the IT security industry to combat cyber threats, we write to offer any information or assistance we can provide with regards to any Department investigation regarding the company, its operations, or its products,” Kaspersky said in a letter submitted to the DHS in July 2017.

The United States Department of Homeland Security is yet to respond to Kaspersky’s appeal. Kaspersky is asking the federal court to overturn the ban forced by the Trump administration and to permit the necessary steps to demonstrate that no ties with Kremlin exist.