The Dutch government announced that the national government will no longer use anti-virus software from Kaspersky Lab. Justice and security minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus said the Kaspersky products present an increased security risk due to the company's links to the Russian government.
The Netherlands follows the US and UK governments taking similar steps. The justice minister said he's also advising companies in key sectors such as energy or telecoms to not use Kaspersky Lab siftware, as well as those subject to defence contract requirements. Products other than anti-virus software from Kaspersky are not covered under the decision.
In a brief to parliament, the minister said the Dutch government came to the decision on its own. It took note of the approach and reasoning of the US and UK, while conducting its own investigation and analysis, he said.
Russian law requires companies such as Kaspersky to work with law enforcement and intelligence officials if requested. The Dutch government said that Russia also has an active, offensive cyber programme that targets the Netherlands and its strategic interests. While no evidence was presented, the combination of factors led the government to conclude that there was a high risk of digital espionage and sabotage for the state and vital sectors in the country.
The government informed Kaspersky Lab of the decision, but the company did not respond publicly to the Dutch government's announcement immediately. The company has been active several years in the Netherlands, with its Benelux head office based in the country. Separately, Kaspersky announced that it will be moving a significant part of its anti-virus software business to Switzerland from Russia and increasing independent verification of the products to enhance transparency.
