UK Government Departments Advised against Using Anti-virus from Companies Tied to Russia

An alert has been issued to government departments of UK that they mustn't utilize anti-virus software that are obtained from technology companies having connections with Russia in light of keeping national security in tact.

According to NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre's) chief Ciaran Martin, Russia aims at attacking United Kingdom central government as well as the country's crucial infrastructure so risks exist about other countries trying to acquire the firms which create anti-virus software.

A discussion is ongoing between the NCSC and Kaspersky Lab the biggest technology firm from Russia operating inside UK, with the Centre trying towards developing checks that would stop data transfer from UK to Russia, says Martin. The Telegraph posted this, December 2, 2017.

With condemnation on Russia about interfering in US election of 2016, Members of Parliament are questioning whether Moscow has tried to influence the UK elections as well as the country's referendum on Brexit.

Citing one November speech, PM Theresa May told Vladimir Putin, President of Russia that the world knew about his country's intentional activities towards disseminating false news so that discord develops among the nation states of the West.

In a letter by Martin and which he approved with M15, the NCSC chief earlier cautioned that hackers from Russia aimed attack on the United Kingdom energy infrastructure, media and telecoms during 2016.

Nevertheless, the letter stated that the majority of companies and people within UK weren't facing danger of country-sponsored cyber assaults instead the threats were from independent cyber-criminal gangs.

Martin stated that his Centre indicated Russia was extremely able to threaten on the cyber space. Those cyber threats include influence, disruption and espionage operations.

While Russia intends to attack crucial national infrastructure and central government of UK, it isn't actively targeting most of UK's organizations and citizens, who are much more likely for coming under cyber-criminals' attacks.

Thus as guidance to various chiefs of departments, let departments leverage risk-based, informed judgments about the anti-virus vendors they choose, the Centre opined. Consequently, anytime it's assessed that Russia's reach over information causes danger to UK's security, choice of an AV firm based in Russia should be avoided.

» SPAMfighter News - 12/11/2017