President Trump signed a bill last week that bans Kaspersky Lab software on federal computers. Local governments were initially hesitant to stop using it, but most are now following the feds’ lead.
Last week, due to fears about potential cyberespionage, President Donald Trump signed a bill banning the federal government’s use of a Russia-based antivirus software.
The legislation comes three months after a federal directive advised civilian agencies to remove Kaspersky Lab within 90 days and nearly six months after the federal government revoked Kaspersky Lab from its list of approved vendors.
Neither last week’s bill nor the September directive apply to state and local governments, several of which were still using Kaspersky software in July. The Washington Post revealed that month that Portland, Ore.; Fayetteville, Ga.; San Marcos, Texas; Picayune, Miss.; and the Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services were all using the software despite federal concerns about cyberespionage.
GOVERNING
BY NATALIE DELGADILLO | DECEMBER 18, 2017