MOSCOW, September 14. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has reminded about the principles of fair competition after the US authorities called to refrain from the use of software made by Kaspersky Lab, a Russian cyber security and anti-virus provider.

"The US Department Homeland Security claims that Kaspersky products pose a threat to security. That’s all there is to fair competition. Nothing more," she wrote on her Facebook account on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, the US Department of Homeland Security ordered federal institutions to stop using Kaspersky products. "The Department is concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies, and requirements under Russian law that allow Russian intelligence agencies to request or compel assistance from Kaspersky and to intercept communications transiting Russian networks," the department said in a statement. "The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security."

Kaspersky Lab dismissed these allegations, saying further probe in the United States would confirm that it has no ties with the Russian government.