FCC adds Kaspersky to Covered List due to unacceptable risks to national security

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added Kaspersky to its Covered List because it poses unacceptable risks to U.S. national security.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added multiple Kaspersky products and services to its Covered List saying that they pose unacceptable risks to U.S. national security.

“The Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau today added equipment and services from three entities – AO Kaspersky Lab, China Telecom (Americas) Corp, and China Mobile International USA Inc. – to its list of communications equipment and services that have been deemed a threat to national security, consistent with requirements in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019.” reads the FCC’s press release.

The Covered List, published by Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau published, included products and services that could pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.

The US commission also added Chinese state-owned mobile service providers China Mobile International USA and China Telecom Americas to the list. Below is the list of Covered Equipment or Services added on March 25, 2022:

• Information security products, solutions, and services supplied, directly or indirectly, by AO Kaspersky Lab or any of its predecessors, successors, parents, subsidiaries, or affiliates.
• International telecommunications services provided by China Mobile International USA Inc. subject to section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934.
• Telecommunications services provided by China Telecom (Americas) Corp. subject to section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934.

FCC banned Kaspersky security solutions and services supplied by Kaspersky or any linked companies.

“The FCC’s decision to add these three entities to our Covered List is welcome news. The FCC plays a critical role in securing our nation’s communications networks, and keeping our Covered List up to date is an important tool we have at our disposal to do just that. In particular, I am pleased that our national security agencies agreed with my assessment that China Mobile and China Telecom appeared to meet the threshold necessary to add these entities to our list. Their addition, as well as Kaspersky Labs, will help secure our networks from threats posed by Chinese and Russian state backed entities seeking to engage in espionage and otherwise harm America’s interests.” said FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. “I applaud Chairwoman Rosenworcel for working closely with our partners in the Executive Branch on these updates. As we continue our work to secure America’s communications networks, I am confident that we will have more entities to add to our Covered List.”

In Mid March, the German Federal Office for Information Security agency, aka BSI, recommended consumers uninstall Kaspersky anti-virus software. The Agency warns the cybersecurity firm could be implicated in hacking attacks during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to §7 BSI law, the BSI warns against the use of Kaspersky Antivirus and recommends replacing it asap with defense solutions from other vendors.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Kaspersky)

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