Kaspersky Lab Sues U.S Over Federal Agency Ban on Its Software

Homeland Security order cited Russia links, espionage concerns
Company says U.S. didn’t allow it to challenge risk allegation

Visitors stand near a large graphic of a computer chip motherboard at the Kaspersky Lab pavilion at the CeBIT 2017 tech fair in Hannover, Germany, on Tuesday, March 21, 2017. Leading edge technologies in the digital world are showcased in this annual event which runs March 20 - 24.Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

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By Tom Schoenberg

December 18, 2017 at 5:50 PM UTC

Updated on

December 18, 2017 at 6:59 PM UTC

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Kaspersky Lab Inc. is challenging a U.S. directive banning all use of its software by federal agencies over concerns about the Moscow-connected security firm’s links to the Russian government and espionage efforts.

Kaspersky Lab sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday in federal court in Washington claiming it wasn’t given a chance to dispute the government’s allegations, which the software maker said were based off of unfounded press reports. Kaspersky said the "unprecendented, sweeping and retroactive debarment" violated the company’s constitutional rights.