U.S. Treasury Sanctions 12 Kaspersky Executives Amid Software Ban
National Security / Cyber Espionage
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned 12 top executives from Kaspersky Lab. This happened just a day after the Commerce Department banned the Russian company.
Protecting Cyber Security
Brian E. Nelson, the Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, emphasized the move is critical to ensuring the safety of American citizens from harmful cyber threats. He stated:
"The United States will take action where necessary to hold accountable those who would seek to facilitate or otherwise enable these activities."
Who is Sanctioned?
The sanctions target high-ranking officials within Kaspersky but do not affect the company itself, its parent or subsidiary companies, or its CEO, Eugene Kaspersky. The 12 sanctioned individuals are:
- Andrei Gennadyevich Tikhonov, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and board member
- Daniil Sergeyevich Borshchev, Deputy CEO and board member
- Andrei Anatolyevich Efremov, Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) and board member
- Igor Gennadyevich Chekunov, Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and board member
- Andrey Petrovich Dukhvalov, Vice President and Director of Future Technologies
- Andrei Anatolyevich Suvorov, Head of Kaspersky Operating System Business Unit
- Denis Vladimirovich Zenkin, Head of Corporate Communications
- Marina Mikhaylovna Alekseeva, Chief Human Resources (HR) Officer
- Mikhail Yuryevich Gerber, Executive Vice President of Consumer Business
- Anton Mikhaylovich Ivanov, Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
- Kirill Aleksandrovich Astrakhan, Executive Vice President for Corporate Business
- Anna Vladimirovna Kulashova, Managing Director for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
US Ban on Kaspersky Software
The Commerce Department has restricted Kaspersky from selling its software and providing security services in the U.S. starting July 20, 2024. The department listed Kaspersky on the Entity List due to national security concerns.
Russia's Reaction
Russia has criticized the ban, saying it’s just a tactic by the U.S. to reduce foreign competition against American products. Kaspersky has reassured that it has no connections with the Russian government.
Summary
The U.S. is taking serious steps to protect its cyber domain by sanctioning 12 senior officials at Kaspersky Lab following a software ban. The aim is to keep Americans safe from potential cyber espionage threats, showing a firm stance on cyber security.
