Sen. Klobuchar urges DHS to ensure no Kaspersky software is on U.S. election systems

Klobuchar's letter seems to be more precautionary in nature rather than a strong signal that Kaspersky is in fact on election systems.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar is urging the Department of Homeland Security to ensure no Kaspersky software is on U.S. election systems.

The senator wrote to the department this week as a series of incendiary reports alleged Russian intelligence services used Kaspersky antivirus software to steal sensitive U.S. government information.

“As we continue to receive reports that the Kremlin may have accessed classified national security information through Kaspersky Lab software, it is imperative that we take all necessary steps to prevent future cyberattacks,” Klobuchar wrote. The Minnesota Democrat is ranking member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over the administration of federal elections.

“The Department’s recent decision requiring all federal agencies to remove Kaspersky software from government computers is an important first step towards addressing the potential vulnerabilities our networks face,” the senator wrote. “Now, we must also ensure that state and local government officials are aware of these threats and have the guidance and resources needed to remove Kaspersky software from their networks. This is especially necessary where officials maintain cyber networks related to critical infrastructure, like our election systems.”

Klobuchar’s letter seems to be more precautionary in nature, rather than a strong signal that Kaspersky is installed on election systems. The senator calls out the “potential threat” while urging action.

CyberScoop has reached out to her office for clarification.

Kaspersky denied the charges that the company was complicit in inappropriate behavior with the Russian government. CEO Eugene Kaspersky launched an internal investigation into the possibility that the company had been breached, an announcement that came earlier this week and just minutes after calling the idea a “conspiracy theory.”

“Kaspersky Lab has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyberespionage efforts,” a company statement said.

German cybersecurity authorities said on Wednesday that they’ve seen no evidence that Russians used Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab products to spy.

The company’s North American operations underwent a significant shuffle as the head of PR left the firm while new executives joined in the midst of the international cybersecurity controversy.

You can read the full letter on Klobuchar’s website.

Possible U.S.-developed exploits linked to first known ‘mass’ iOS attack

Researchers traced the kit moving from a spyware vendor’s customer to Russian hackers to Chinese cybercriminals.

In Paris, U.S. signals shift from AI safety to deregulation

Microsoft: Iran makes late play to meddle in U.S. elections

Government

• FBI officials say AI is bolstering adversaries, emphasizing need to focus on cyber basics, patching

• Feds accuse China of ‘systematic’ distillation of U.S. AI models

• CIA’s Michael Ellis says cyber intelligence is changing how the agency operates

• The G7 tells industry to hurry up and prep for post-quantum encryption

Technology

• European parliament members call for slowdown of Serbia’s EU entry over spyware use

• FCC proposes public scorecard to rate telecoms on anti-robocall efforts

• Pegasus, NoviSpy variant spyware found on devices of Serbian activists

• Wyden seeks upgraded NSA security guidance on commercial VPN use

Threats

• Chinese espionage groups swarm to exploit triple-link chain of zero-days

• Microsoft discloses two actively exploited zero-days among 974 vulnerabilities

• Russian national extradited to US for alleged involvement in bank-account takeover scheme

• Attackers exploit zero-days in consistently besieged SonicWall product

Policy

• Whistleblower says USPS deploying new, ‘untested’ IT systems governing mail-in ballots

• ‘Watershed 250’ test program in Texas looks to private sector for water cybersecurity help

• Former sexual abuse victims say Grok used their images, videos to train deepfake capabilities

• Cyber threats nudge Trump to sign executive order on foreign equipment in U.S. energy infrastructure