US deems Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky "security threat"
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The US Federal Communications Commission adds cybersecurity firm Kaspersky to a threat list, which blocks paying the firm with US government subsidies.
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Kaspersky responded to the designation by pointing out that it was imposed "on political grounds."
US regulators have deemed antivirus software maker Kaspersky a "threat to national security," a designation that will restrict its dealings in the United States, AFP reported.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has added Kaspersky to a threat list -- which blocks paying the firm with certain US government subsidies -- that also includes Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE.
The FCC's statement released Friday did not mention Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, but Kaspersky responded to the designation by pointing out that it was imposed "on political grounds."
"This decision is not based on any technical assessment of Kaspersky products," the firm affirmed in a statement.
Earlier this month, German cyber security agency BSI urged consumers against using Kaspersky's antivirus software, claiming that the company could be implicated -- willingly or unwillingly -- in hacking assaults amid the operation in Ukraine.
The addition of Kaspersky to the threat list blocks money from the FCC's fund that supports telecommunications in rural areas.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
