Russian cybersecurity company, Kaspersky Lab, claimed that following the Department of Commerce’s announcement that the company cannot sell its products in the US, it will “gradually wind down” its US operations and fire its US-based staff.
The tech firm disclosed this in a statement seen by Newsng on Tuesday.
The company’s decision to close its US operations was first disclosed by independent journalist Kim Zetter.
Zetter stated that “less than 50” workers in the US are impacted by the layoffs.
This comes after US infrastructure and services were seriously jeopardised by Moscow’s control over the corporation, according to comments made by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo last month.
The claims have been refuted by Kaspersky, which has been in business in the US for twenty years.
“Starting from July 20, 2024, Kaspersky will gradually wind down its US operations and eliminate US-based positions,” the firm said in a statement.
Its cybersecurity and antivirus products are no longer available for purchase on its US website; a notice stating that “purchase is unavailable for US customers” is shown.
The declaration followed the US government’s prohibition on the sale and distribution of Kaspersky products.
“Today’s Final Determination and Entity Listing are the result of a lengthy and thorough investigation, which found that the company’s continued operations in the United States presented a national security risk—due to the Russian Government’s offensive cyber capabilities and capacity to influence or direct Kaspersky’s operations—that could not be addressed through mitigation measures short of a total prohibition,” the Bureau of Industry & Security said.
“The company has carefully examined and evaluated the impact of the US legal requirements and made this sad and difficult decision as business opportunities in the country are no longer viable,” Kaspersky Lab said in its reply.
We earlier reported that a woman from Arizona took part in a plot to assist North Korean IT professionals in impersonating Americans so they could apply for remote jobs at American businesses according to the US authorities.
