Kaspersky, a well-known antivirus software from Russia, has recently been banned from use on government devices. This means that no government agency is allowed to install or use it. The decision follows similar bans from countries such as the UK, Canada, the US and New Zealand, all of which are part of an intelligence-sharing alliance known as the Five Eyes.
While Kaspersky has built a strong reputation over the years for detecting cyber threats and uncovering large-scale hacking campaigns, concerns about its Russian origins have remained. These concerns date back to 2017, when an employee of the US National Security Agency took classified documents home and stored them on a personal computer. Kaspersky’s antivirus software reportedly detected these files as potential threats and uploaded them to its servers for analysis. This raised alarm bells in the US, leading to accusations that Kaspersky was sharing sensitive information with the Russian government. As a result, the US government banned Kaspersky from use in its agencies.
In response, Kaspersky denied any ties to the Russian government and attempted to rebuild trust. The company even offered US officials access to its source code (the underlying programming of the software) to prove it had nothing to hide. In 2018, Kaspersky launched a “Global Transparency Initiative”, promising to move its data processing operations to Switzerland — an effort completed by 2020 — to assure users that their data was not at risk.
Despite these efforts, the US continued to tighten restrictions. By 2018, a law was passed banning Kaspersky from all federal networks, and in 2022, the Federal Communications Commission officially listed it as a national security threat.
By 2024, concerns over Kaspersky had only grown. Australia followed in the footsteps of its allies and banned the software from government systems. The move is part of a wider effort among Western nations to cut ties with technology that could pose a security risk due to its links to foreign governments, particularly Russia.
Along with Kaspersky, the Australian government has also banned DeepSeek, an AI chatbot developed in China, from all government devices. Officials are worried that using this software could pose security risks, such as exposing sensitive information. Australia’s decision follows similar moves by Taiwan and Italy, which have also restricted certain foreign-made software over concerns about data privacy and potential foreign interference.
So what does this mean for Australian homes and businesses still using Kaspersky? There’s a chance Australia could follow the US and eventually ban the sale of Kaspersky software altogether or even block its connection to update servers. If that happens, users wouldn’t be able to purchase or update the software, leaving it vulnerable to new threats. Kaspersky was once widely available through multiple vendors, but many have already stopped stocking its products.
This year, I plan to cover a broad range of technology and security news, but scam awareness, education and keeping our readers protected will always remain a top priority. As always, I hope you found this information helpful. If you have any suggestions or concerns, feel free to email askatech@mmg.com.au — I’d love to hear from you!
