Security experts have alerted against Belgium’s continuous use of Russia-developed antivirus software Kaspersky, over fears that the software may contain vulnerabilities that may be exploited by the Russian Government, as per reports.
Across Europe, major antivirus software users, which was once regarded as one of the best antivirus software on the market, have begun to ditch the software over serious security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
At great cost, the Italian Government has already dropped all of its contracts with the company. In Belgium, the political party New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) has opted to remove the software from over 500 party computers over security concerns.
The Dutch Government has banned the use of the software since 2018, over fears that Kaspersky would be forced to comply with orders given by the Kremlin. German and French cybersecurity agencies have both publicly advised against the use of the software, which it views as potentially exploitable.
However, despite serious security concerns about the use of the software, the Belgian Federal Government has still not banned the use of the antivirus software for state affairs. The longer Belgium waits to take action, the greater the risk, said cyber expert Bart Preneel.
“While all neighbouring countries are warning against the antivirus software of the Russian company Kaspersky, our country is hesitating. The risk has only increased since the war,” the expert said.
