Source: https://cobaltstrike.net/2022/03/15/germany-warned-against-using-kaspersky-anti-virus/
The German cybersecurity agency BSI has urged consumers not to use antivirus software created by the Russian Kaspersky Lab. As the agency warned, the company may be involved in hacker attacks.
“A Russian IT manufacturer may conduct offensive operations on its own, may be forced to attack target systems against its will, become a victim of cyber operations without its knowledge, or be unlawfully used as a tool for attacks on its own customers,” the BSI reported.
According to experts, companies and operators of critical infrastructure are particularly vulnerable, but ordinary users can also suffer.
Recall that back in 2017, the United States banned the use of Kaspersky Lab solutions in federal agencies.
Amid the height of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, concerns about unprecedented cyber warfare are growing. Experts are closely monitoring both sides, fearing serious conflicts in cyberspace, the damage from which may exceed the damage from physical battles. But the worst-case scenario has so far been avoided, since the attacks observed seem to be limited by their impact and geographical scope.
Germany in recent years have repeatedly accused Russia of trying to cyber-espionage. To date, the most high-profile incident blamed on Russian hackers was a cyberattack on the Bundestag in 2015. As a result of the cyberattack, the computer network of the lower house of parliament was disconnected, forcing the entire institution to disconnect from the network for several days until the problem was fixed.
German intelligence services suspected Russian military intelligence of involvement in the attack on the German parliament. According to a senior German intelligence official, the incident “was clearly connected with Russian military intelligence” (GRU). Sofacy and APT28 groups were accused of carrying out the attack.