MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Moscow-based cybersecurity and anti-virus provider Kaspersky Lab has filed a lawsuit in a US court to challenge provisions of the US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, which prohibit any federal entity from using the company’s hardware, software or services.
"Kaspersky Lab believes that these provisions violate the US Constitution by specifically and unfairly singling out the company for legislative punishment, based on vague and unsubstantiated allegations without any basis in fact," Kaspersky Lab said in a statement.
"No evidence has been presented of any wrongdoing by the company, or of any misuse of its products," the statement reads. "We continue to offer our full cooperation to government agencies and others with cybersecurity concerns collaboratively and openly through our Global Transparency Initiative."
Earlier, Kaspersky Lab turned to a US court with a request to cancel the US Department of Homeland Security’s Binding Operational Directive. The document directs "Federal Executive Branch departments and agencies to take actions related to the use or presence of information security products, solutions, and services supplied directly or indirectly by AO Kaspersky Lab or related entities." It also "calls on departments and agencies to identify any use or presence of Kaspersky products on their information systems… develop detailed plans to remove and discontinue present and future use of the products."
The Russian president’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, described the decision as politicized. Other Russian officials described those measures as a manifestation of dishonest methods of competition.
Head of Kaspersky Lab, Eugene Kaspersky, said that US accusations against his company were a lie. He also noted that the company is not going to close its business with the US and will continue to operate in that country, despite the damage caused to the company and its business partners.