The Biden administration imposed sanctions on 12 people in senior leadership roles at Kaspersky Lab on Friday, citing cybersecurity risks, a day after announcing plans to block sales of the Russian company's antivirus software.
The sanctions targeted company leaders, including the chief business development officer, chief operating officer, chief legal officer, chief communications officer and others.
“Today’s action against Kaspersky Lab’s leadership underscores our commitment to ensuring the integrity of our cyberspace and protecting our citizens from malicious cyber threats,” Treasury Under Secretary Brian Nelson said in a statement.
A Kaspersky spokesperson described the move as unjustified and unfounded, saying it would not impact the company's resilience because it did not target the parent company, subsidiaries or its CEO, Eugene Kaspersky.
The company denied any ties to any government or any links between the appointed officials and Russian military or intelligence authorities.
The moves show that the Biden administration is trying to eliminate any risk of Russian cyberattacks stemming from Kaspersky software and keep up the pressure on Moscow, as its war effort in Ukraine regains momentum and the United States reduces the number of sanctions it could impose on Russia.
The move on Thursday was coupled with an unprecedented ban on sales, resales and software updates of Kaspersky products in the United States starting September 29.
The designation, announced Friday, bars U.S. companies or citizens from trading or conducting financial transactions with the sanctioned executives and freezes assets held in the United States.
