(Bloomberg) — The U.S. placed internet-security provider AO Kaspersky Lab on a list of companies deemed a threat to national security, for the first time adding a Russian entity to a list dominated by Chinese telecommunications firms.
The Federal Communications Commission on Friday also added China Telecom (Americas) Corp, and China Mobile International USA Inc. to the list.
Once a company is on the list, federal subsidies can’t be used to purchase its equipment or services.
The action is part of the FCC’s efforts to “strengthen America’s communications networks against national security threats,” Jessica Rosenworcel, the agency’s chairwoman, said in a news release.
Kaspersky is a well known provider of anti-virus software, and has conducted investigations into a range of nation-state hacking incidents, including campaigns that researchers have tied to the U.S. National Security Agency.
The U.S. government in 2017 banned use of Kaspersky software in federal information systems, citing concerns about the Moscow-based security firm’s links to the Russian government and espionage efforts.
The FCC on Friday said the 2017 action persuaded it that “Kaspersky-branded products pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.”
The FCC last year placed five Chinese companies on the list. They were Huawei Technologies Co., ZTE Corp., Hytera Communications Corp., Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co.
(Adds more on Kaspersky beginning in first paragraph.)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
