Germany has issued a warning against the use of Russian anti-virus software.

Russian anti-virus software

 

The German cyber-security body has advised against using Kaspersky anti-virus software, which is based in Russia. In light of the war in Ukraine, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) published a statement. According to the report, Russian information-technology companies could be spied on or pushed to commit cyber-attacks. The warning was "made on political grounds," according to Kaspersky, and it had no ties to the Russian government.

Offensive operations' is a term used to describe military operations:

The BSI made no claims about current issues with Kaspersky's products, but it did say that the situation in Ukraine and Russian threats against the European Union, NATO, and Germany increased the risk of cyber-attacks.

"A Russian IT manufacturer can conduct offensive operations on its own, be forced to attack target systems against its will, or be spied on as a victim of a cyber operation without its knowledge or as a tool for assaults against its own customers," the warning stated.

Kaspersky anti-virus solutions should be replaced with alternatives, according to the BSI, but with caution to prevent weakening defenses.

President Donald Trump signed legislation in 2017 prohibiting the use of Kaspersky software within the US government.

In the same year, the UK's National Cyber Security Centre warned all government agencies against utilizing Kaspersky products for national security systems in a letter to all government departments.

Conflict resolution:

"We have alerted Kaspersky management that we are suspending [our] sponsorship arrangement effective immediately," Eintracht Frankfurt spokesman Axel Hellmann told Bloomberg in response to the BSI's warning.

"We are deeply disappointed by the development."

Kaspersky said it would ask the BSI for clarity on its decision, which was "not based on a technical examination of Kaspersky products," as well as how to address the BSI's concerns.

It "does not have any ties to the Russian or any other government" as a private worldwide cyber-security firm.

In 2018, it moved its data-processing infrastructure to Switzerland.

"Independent third-party assessments have affirmed the security and integrity of our data services and technical procedures," says the company.

"We think that peaceful conversation is the only means of resolving issues," the statement read.

"No one benefits from war."

Similar remarks made by founder Eugene Kaspersky two weeks ago drew widespread condemnation.