News hardware FCC: a Russian antivirus considered a “threat”
The FCC cracked down last week. The American authority has decided to add to its list of companies banned from the country the Russian company Kaspersky known for its antivirus.
If the name “Kaspersky” is not unknown to you, it’s not for nothing. The antivirus has long been installed by default on many computers sold in America and Europe. And not because it was the best, no: because it had the means to sign contracts with the main manufacturers on the market, as was also the case for McAfee or Norton, its two biggest competitors.
Kaspersky is banned from the United States
The decision of the FCC, the authority in charge of national networks in the United States, fell at the end of last week. Kaspersky has been included in its “Covered List”, which is reminiscent in principle of the “Entity List” used by the Trump administration to block Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE.
With the Covered List, the ban is slightly less severe, but still important. A company that integrates it can no longer take advantage of the FCC’s investment fund, the Universal Service Fund, created to support the deployment of the national network in white and rural areas. A budget that is important for a company dealing with networks and communication.
A first for Russia
This is historically the first time that a Russian company has joined this “Covered List”. The authority highlights that this decision was taken in order to secure its network against potential future attacks coming from China and Russia. Kaspersky also clarifies: “this decision was not taken on an analysis of Kaspersky products… but on a political basis.”
The implication is clear: there is no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the Russian company. The FCC made its decision to prevent any future safety issues. Fun fact, the authority does not for a second cite the context of the invasion of Ukraine in its decision. However, we can see to what extent this influences the decision.
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By [OtaXou]Writing jeuxvideo.com
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