Germany’s BSI federal cybersecurity agency has warned the country’s citizens not to install Russian-owned Kaspersky antivirus, saying it has “doubts about the reliability of the manufacturer.” Russia-based Kaspersky has long been a target of suspicious rumors in the West over its ownership and allegiance to Russia’s rulers.
In an advisory published today, the agency said: “The BSI recommends replacing applications from Kaspersky’s virus protection software portfolio with alternative products.” It added: “A Russian IT manufacturer can carry out offensive operations itself, be forced to attack target systems against its will, or be spied on without its knowledge as a victim of a cyber operation, or be misused as a tool for attacks against its own customers.”
As appeared in The Register.