The Trump administration has removed Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab from two lists of approved vendors used by government agencies to purchase technology equipment, amid concerns the cybersecurity firm's products could be used by the Kremlin to gain entry into U.S. networks.
The delisting represents the most concrete action taken against Kaspersky following months of mounting suspicion among intelligence officials and lawmakers that the company may be too closely connected to hostile Russian intelligence agencies accused of cyberattacks on the United States.
Kaspersky products have been removed from the U.S. General Services Administration's list of vendors for contracts that cover information-technology services, an agency spokeswoman said.
The agency's priorities "are to ensure the integrity and security of U.S. government systems and networks," she said.
Kaspersky's antivirus software is popular in the United States and around the world, and the firm has been a leading player in the cybersecurity market for decades.
Kaspersky said it "has no ties to any government, and the company has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyberespionage efforts," adding that it has been "caught in the middle of a geopolitical fight."
