A draft of the Senate's Department of Defense budget includes a ban on software developed by Kaspersky Lab, a Moscow, Russia-based global cybersecurity firm, The Hill reported Wednesday.
The proposed provision to the National Defense Authorization Act would prohibit the DOD from "using software platforms developed by Kaspersky Lab due to reports that the Moscow-based company might be vulnerable to Russian government influence," according to a Tweet shared by Reuters reporter Dustin Volz and reported by The Hill.
Although headquartered in Moscow, Kaspersky Lab has locations around the globe. The proposed provision followed a FBI probe into the homes of at least 10 U.S. Kaspersky Lab employees. Kaspersky Lab did not confirm the content of the conversations to The Hill.
Kaspersky Lab responded to The Hill with a statement first released May 9, writing: "As a private company, Kaspersky Lab has no ties to any government, and the company has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyber espionage efforts."
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