Australia Bans Kaspersky Software Over National Security Concerns

Australia has officially banned the installation of security software from Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, citing potential risks to national security. The decision, announced by Stephanie Foster PSM, Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, follows an extensive threat and risk analysis.

"I have determined that the use of Kaspersky Lab, Inc. products and web services by Australian Government entities poses an unacceptable security risk," Foster stated, highlighting concerns over foreign interference, espionage, and sabotage.

She also emphasized the potential dangers of Kaspersky’s data collection practices and the risk of user data being subjected to foreign government directives that could conflict with Australian law.

Under the new directive (002-2025), government entities must remove all instances of Kaspersky software from their systems by April 1, 2025. Moving forward, no Kaspersky products or web services can be installed on government devices. However, exemptions may be granted for specific cases where there is a "legitimate business reason," provided strict security mitigations are in place. These exemptions will be time-limited and primarily apply to compliance and law enforcement functions.

Australia’s decision follows similar actions taken by the United States, which banned Kaspersky from selling or updating its products in the country in June 2024. The company subsequently exited the U.S. market by mid-July 2024.