As first reported over two years ago by Israeli intelligence, the popular Kaspersky Lab antivirus software, relied on by over 400 million people globally, including U.S. government agencies, has been a “Google search [engine] for sensitive information.” Included in the Kaspersky network were hacking tools that appear to have been created by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). The New York Times reported in one case an NSA employee had improperly stored classified documents on his home computer that was running Kaspersky antivirus software. After investigating, the NSA confirmed those sensitive hacking tools were in the possession of the Russian government.
After over two years, the U.S. government just last month finally ordered the removal of Kaspersky software from government computers. But before you roll your eyes at the irony of NSA employees and U.S. government agencies trusting Russian security software, you might be surprised to learn how often you are falling into the same trap with your reliance on “secure” encryption and communications platforms sponsored by U.S. intelligence agencies. Click here for a disturbing read.
