Thanks for the link from 09.

I was talking about what is going on with Kaspershy in the present political environment. Apparently the US Government is concerned about the use of their AV on Government computers.

I saw an interview tonight with Kaspershy in Russia regarding the links to computers using their software and classified leaks.

Kaspershy lives and runs his operation in Russia, was trained as a KPG agent yet denies any connection to Russian hacking of computers in the US.

Our Government is considering banning Kaspershy from all US computers.

Of course, he denies he has any pressure from the Russian Government to spy on US computers.

Jane

I understand the paranoia about Kaspersky but wonder how much is reality and how much is just knee-jerk overreaction. A question unlikely to ever be answered.

I suspect they found something because it was removed from all Government computers.

Kaspersky has finally launched its free antivirus software after a year-and-a-half of testing it in select regions.
The free antivirus will be available in the US, Canada and most Asia-Pacific countries over the next couple of days, if it isn't yet. After this initial release, the company will roll it out in other regions from September to November.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/26/kaspersky-free-antivirus-software-worldwide-launch/

Jane you're spreading your own innuendo as fact. I've not read or heard anything to the point you're suggesting. What's your source?

I've never used Kaspersky, but I tend to think that like so many other things these days, the fear of using it is, yes, a sort of knee-jerk reaction.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/amp/fbi-interviews-employees-russia-linked-cyber-security-firm-kaspersky-lab-n777571

I hope you read you own link, Jane. I did.. No evidence of having discovered a problem is mentioned. Did I miss something?

I did read it and if you Google there are many others. No nothing confirmed. I was simply putting it out there to get feedback.

Kaspersky is located in Russia. It operates out of Russia. Does anyone really believe they can operate independent of Government influence? Why would they not locate elsewhere?

You seem to be an ardent supporter. Well and fine...after-all, this is a Country where you are free to make your own decisions about what AV you use.

Hits my comfort zone.

Jane

are Kaspersky and Kaspershy the same thing?

I'm a supporter of facts and truths. Your several comments, like "Kaspersky is now suspect", and "....Kaspershy in Russia ....the links to computers using their software and classified leaks" and "I suspect they found something" are untrue and baseless, as far as anything I've found.

"Why would they not locate elsewhere?"

Where would you expect a company founded by Russians to be located? Russian software and computer science engineers (and the university programs they come from) have had a reputation for world class excellence for decades. They are where they are.

By contrast, you might be shocked seeing who the graduate students are in US university STEM (science, tech, engineering and math) programs and who the technical engineers are at software, internet, and other high tech companies here in Silicon Valley. Most are foreign born and from countries that are not outright allies of the US, including from Russia and China among many others. If you find risks and conspiracies everywhere you look, it should tell you something.

I guess I feel about using Kasperky software kinda like my father, a WWII vet having served in the Pacific arena, did when I told him I bought a Toyota back in the 70s. He was aware that they made a decent car but he wasn't going to buy one. I never fought the Russians but I did do the Nuclear drill in grade school during the Cuban missile crisis.

The difference with foreign students here in the US is just that, they are working/studying in the US. Kaspersky operates out of Russia. Russian govt has its hands on everything in their Country. Saw the interview with Kaspersky (who was a graduate KPG student).

Apparently there was a lot of hacking going on with our last election. Our govt computers used Kaspersky on their systems. Little suspicious? Who knows, I guess we'll have to wait for the investigation to complete.

Jane, I think the information you're basing your conclusions on isn't wholly accurate and is also incomplete. Also, the relationships you're insinuating aren't supported. Slow down a bit and when you're guessing, you should say so.

Do you mean KGB instead of KPG?

Yes, KGB. Typing on my phone.

I did say we will have to wait for the investigations to be completed. I was only pointing out the interview and questions by 'our' government.

I found the interview interesting.

Jane

Jane...you're vindicated. This below from the NY Times today.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/us/politics/kaspersky-lab-antivirus-federal-government.html?emc=edit_th_20170914&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=80864962

IMHO, those who do pay attention to computer news already have more than enough information to make an informed yea/nay decision about Kaspersky and won't be swayed one way or the other by one more user opinion in this forum who may or may not be adequately informed about the subject. Likewise, those who do not pay attention to computer news probably will never arrive at this forum and will never see the post/opinion/rant/whatever of one more user belaboring the point. Don't forget that headlines...like numbers...can be crafted to say anything.

Having a bad day, Azinoh?

I guess Azinoh thinks NY Times is fake news. I'm sure you can check on the validly of the story by looking at the news outlet of your choice.

Enough said,

Without a public release of hard evidence, the "risk" remains unsupported innuendo, maybe an overreaction, or possibly even something with political motivations, in my mind.

I'm anything but a libertarian but I don't automatically assume decisions taken by federal agencies are always reasonable. Many are often wrong. The absence of a background announcement could mean they have good reasons based on sensitive intelligence or that they have none at all. Who knows?

The jury is still out on this one as far as I'm concerned.

And today the Wall Street Journal reports this --> http://www.marketwatch.com/story/russian-hackers-used-kaspersky-software-to-steal-nsa-secrets-2017-10-05?siteid=YAHOOB

You beat me to it, jrb. I, too, read that report and was about to post the link, as well. :-) I don't think there's any room for doubt any more. I found the last two paragraphs where Sen. Shaheen requests [quoted below] that the President declassify more information about Kaspersky's dangerous involvement very interesting. Makes one wonder what we don't know. Sure glad I never used their product.

"Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, called on the Trump
administration to declassify information about what she called the
dangers of Kaspersky software.

'This development should serve as a stark
warning, not just to the federal government, but to states, local
governments, and the American public, of the serious dangers of using
Kaspersky software," Shaheen said. “The strong ties between Kaspersky
Lab and the Kremlin are extremely alarming and have been well-documented
for some time. It’s astounding and deeply disturbing that the Russian
government continues to have this tool at their disposal to harm the
United States."

I thought as much.

What went on during and prior to the election was very suspicious with all the email leaks and document leaks. Wiki leaks, Facebook, etc.

What better way to get a look at the sentiment of the American public. Knowing what people to target, what States to target.

How easy for the Kremlin to gather information.

Just confirms my initial reaction to the story. Nothing political at all. We should all be outraged how the Russian Government could attempt to interfere with our Democracy

Thanks for updating my original post letting people decide whether they want this AV on their computers. That was my intention.

Jane

Maybe, but not yet.

It's a one source story - the Wall Street Journal report- with, as over and over again before, too much innuendo. And a quote from a US Senator. Yeah, really?

I'll wait for something more authoritative from cited and more credible sources. This doesn't meet that standard for me.

"And a quote from a US Senator. Yeah, really?"

Exactly..................

America gov is just keeping up with the China gov who delisted Kaspersky & Symantec from their preferred list of gov vendors.

Perhaps- China diplomacy just simply didn't use the word banned & its the Media tossing in the hype.

"We should all be outraged how the Russian Government could attempt to interfere with our Democracy"

I await with bated breath the next announcement about which we should all be outraged. That outrage and $1.10 will get you a cup of coffee at MickeyD's.

China may have dropped Kaspersky because it's Russian, their main rival for all these decades. Maybe Symantec because American companies are less flexible than others to pay kickbacks or they had a run in with them, maybe even a piracy matter. China plays a complicated, ambiguous and nuanced game in its foreign policy and especially in its technology policy. You should be reluctant to assume there's a simple explanation for anything they do.

azinoh, I'm outraged that you're not outraged. You're going to be expelled from the Chicken Little Club.

I could not ask for higher praise. Thank You.

I caught something on the radio today about agents acting for the Russian government hacking in to the personal computer of a NSA contractor, who, in gross violation of security policies, took classified documents home with him. The NSA/FBI/whomever believes that Kaspersky's AV software, which was running on the contractor's computer, somehow facilitated the hacking.

They didn't cover it in the news report but it seems to raise a few questions. How did Russian know this guy was working for the NSA and took documents home? Were they following or investigating him some way? Or is somehow Kaspersky's software sending back details on the contents of users' hard drives? That latter seems unlikely as it probably involves millions of computers around the world with hundreds of millions, if not billions, of files.

Mike, that sounds like a rehash of the same one Wall Street Journal story. Radio programs often source "news" from the print media. Even the NY Times article cites the WSJ article. It's one report lacking any mention of credible sources and nothing more. I don't use Kaspersky but if I did, I would continue to do so. For now.

To show I'm not being doctrinaire or stubborn, I'll contribute another layer to this story (if it is a story), a Washington Post piece (with a link to another in the NY Times) that suggest it was Israeli intelligence officers who discovered incriminating American NSA materials were present in Kaspersky's internal network during an unauthorized access to its systems.

The reporting remains somewhat disjointed enough that I'm not ready to remove my hands from my hips or abandon my "wait for better info" thoughts but here it is. Part of what doesn't make sense to me is that Kaspersky made public the breach when it happened and gave details about it as one of its periodic security releases. That's not at all what might be expected from an entity acting as a front for a sovereign intelligence service that would be trading blows with the intelligence services of other countries in the normal course of daily business. Unless, that was part of an attempt at misdirection to disguise deliberate Kaspersky involvement, by acting naively. Who knows?

Israeli intelligence discovered Kaspersky in possession of NSA material