June 21, 2024 at 01:34PM
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned twelve Kaspersky Lab executives for their involvement in the Russian technology sector, following the Biden administration’s ban on sales and software updates for Kaspersky antivirus software in the USA. The sanctions include asset freezes and restrictions on conducting business with these individuals.
The meeting notes indicate that the US government has imposed sanctions on twelve executives of Kaspersky Lab for operating in the technology sector of Russia. These sanctions are a result of the Biden administration’s ban on sales and software updates for Kaspersky antivirus software, which was initiated in July due to potential cybersecurity risks to national security. Additionally, the Department of Commerce has placed AO Kaspersky Lab and OOO Kaspersky Group in Russia, as well as Kaspersky Labs Limited in the United Kingdom, on the Entity List, prohibiting any US business from conducting business with them.
The sanctioned individuals hold leadership positions within Kaspersky Lab, including board members, vice presidents, and other high-ranking officers. They have been designated pursuant to Executive Order 14024, which specifies that individuals working in the technology sector of the Russian Federation can be subject to sanctions. As a result, their assets in the US have been frozen, and they are prohibited from accessing them until the sanctions are lifted.
It’s important to note that while these executives report directly to the CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, the US government has not imposed sanctions on Kaspersky Lab as a whole, its parent or subsidiary companies, or its CEO.
BleepingComputer has reached out to Kaspersky for a statement regarding the sanctions and is awaiting a response.