Date: Apr 1, 2022
Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) cyber security authority has warned against using antivirus software from Russian headquartered company Kaspersky.
The BSI issued the statement concerning the conflict in Ukraine and said that the Russian information-technology businesses could be spied on or forced to launch cyber attacks.
The BSI has made no allegation of current problems with Kaspersky’s products but said the conflict in Ukraine and Russian threats against the European Union, NATO, and Germany brought the risk of cyberattacks.
Kaspersky told BBC News that this notification had been “made on political grounds” and had no ties to the Russian government. “A Russian IT manufacturer can carry out offensive operations itself, be forced against its will to attack target systems, or be spied on as a victim of a cyber operation without its knowledge or as a tool for attacks against its customers,” the warning said.
The BSI advises that Kaspersky antivirus products should be replaced with alternatives, but carefully, to avoid weakening defenses. In 2017, the US signed legislation banning Kaspersky software’s use within the American Government.
What to do?
Apply Microsoft’s latest security updates as soon as possible
Enable multifactor authentication
Deploy antivirus and antimalware programs
Enable spam filters
Update all software
What can you do to when this happens to you?
If you find your network has been compromised, immediately shut down.
Identify the breach and type of virus or malware present.
Identify any data which might have been compromised or stolen and inform appropriate parties.
Rebuild the network from a known clean backup.
Sources:
Germany Warns About Russian Anti-Virus Software (cybersecurityintelligence.com)
