Biden administration preparing to prevent Americans from using Russian-made software over national security concern

The Biden administration is preparing to take the unusual step of issuing an order that would prevent US companies and citizens from using software made by a major Russian cybersecurity firm because of national security concerns, five US officials familiar with the matter told CNN.

The Biden administration is preparing to take the unusual step of issuing an order that would prevent US companies and citizens from using software made by a major Russian cybersecurity firm because of national security concerns, five US officials familiar with the matter told CNN. The move, which is being finalized and could happen as soon as this month, would use relatively new Commerce Department authorities built on executive orders signed by Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump to prohibit Kaspersky Lab from providing certain products and services in the US, the sources said. US government agencies are already banned from using Kaspersky Lab software but action to prevent private companies from using the software would be unprecedented. Nothing is final until it is announced, the sources cautioned, but the Commerce Department has made an “initial determination” to prohibit certain transactions between the Russian company and US persons, the sources said. It’s the latest US government effort to use its vast regulatory powers to prevent Americans from using popular technology that US officials consider a national security risk. It comes as the Senate weighs a bill that would force Chinese-owned TikTok to find a new owner or face a US ban. One goal of the order would be to mitigate any risk to critical US infrastructure, the sources familiar with the policy process told CNN. A draft of the initial determination to prohibit certain Kaspersky software that circulated last year applied to US persons but could have been amended, according to a source who viewed the draft. The sources declined to detail the full scope of any final order against Kaspersky products, but its focus is expected to be on the firm’s anti-virus software.