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US President Joe Biden's administration has stepped up a national security probe into Russia's AO Kaspersky Lab antivirus software amid heightened fears of Russian cyber attacks after Moscow invaded Ukraine, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The case was referred to the Commerce Department by the Department of Justice last year, a fourth person said, but little progress was made until a White House intervention urged them to move forward in March, the three sources said.
At issue is the chance that the Kremlin could use the antivirus software to steal sensitive information from American computers or tamper with them as tension escalates between Moscow and the West.
Access to the networks of federal contractors and operators of critical US infrastructure, such as power grids, are considered particularly concerning, the three people said.
US regulators have already banned federal government use of Kaspersky software and could ultimately force the company to take measures to reduce risks posed by its products or prohibit Americans from using them altogether.
The probe shows the administration is digging deep into its toolkit to hit Moscow with even its most obscure authorities in a bid to protect US citizens and corporations from Russian cyber attacks.
Other regulatory powers stop short of allowing the government to block private sector use of software made by the company based in Moscow, long seen by US officials as a serious threat to national security.
The- US departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as Kaspersky, declined to comment. The company has for years denied wrongdoing or any secret partnership with Russian intelligence.
The enhanced probe is being carried out using broad new powers created by the Donald Trump administration that allow the Commerce Department to ban or restrict transactions between US companies and internet, telecoms and tech companies from “foreign adversary” nations including Russia and China.
For Kaspersky, the Commerce Department could use the authorities to ban its use, the purchase of its software by US citizens or prohibit the download of updates via a regulation in The Federal Register.
The tools are largely untested. Mr Trump used them to try to bar Americans from using Chinese social media platforms TikTok and WeChat, but federal courts halted such moves.
A top Justice Department official said last year that the agency was examining dozens of Russian companies, including “a known connection between a particular company and the Russian intelligence services”, to see whether they threatened the US supply chain.
The department could refer some of the cases to Commerce for further action, then-assistant attorney general John Demers said at the time.
Reuters could not learn whether the companies under review included Kaspersky, which made an estimated $95.3 million in US revenue in 2020, market research firm Gartner said.
It was not known whether that figure included Kaspersky products sold by third parties under different branding, a practice which generates confusion about software's origin, US national security officials say.
In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security banned Kaspersky's flagship antivirus product from federal networks, claiming ties to Russia's intelligence services and noting a law that lets its intelligence agencies compel assistance from Kaspersky and intercept communications transiting Russian networks.
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Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Sterling 46', De Bruyne 65', Gundogan 70')
Aston Villa 0
Red card: Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
The%20specs
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's