For the non-sensitive cases, the government generally uses the same antivirus software as big enterprises. If you run into any government office, you will notice computers with the antivirus protection of McAfee and Norton.
However, sensitive government computers use a custom set of antivirus protections to safeguard their information.
Government computers with sensitive contents are attacked a thousand times a day. Everyone wants to hack a US government computer. The government thus uses multiple servers to scan these viruses and prevent them from entering the system.
They use the highest levels of security, which are not meant for home or enterprise use.
2017 witnessed global scale havoc with frequent hacker attacks and security breaches. High-rated antivirus software designed to safeguard your sensitive content has also come under suspicion.
The US government, in 2017, phased out the use of Kaspersky. The government blocked its use by the federal agencies following an allegation of Russian ties.
The Ban Of Kaspersky By The US Government
Kaspersky is an established name in the industry of antivirus protection. The brand has been offering products for about two decades and has earned global respect. Their antivirus protection was highly sought after in the US and Russia.
It has a robust presence in Europe as well, with about 400 million global users.
However, recently the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council official prohibited all their government agencies from the use of Kaspersky products. The ban applies to all US civilian agencies and military departments.
The tuff between Kaspersky and the US Government started in 2017 when news of Russian ties began floating. The government accused Kaspersky of having a connection with the Russian Intelligence agencies.
In 2018, the Government issued a temporary ban on all security products of Kaspersky. Kaspersky did their best to gain the favor of the FARC again and challenged them in court.
Kaspersky claimed that the prohibition was against the constitution of the US. However, the court of law and FARC still pushed through the ban.
Kaspersky later made a statement that the ban was a result of geopolitics and denied their Russian connection.
Permanent Ban On Kaspersky
The US government went a step further and called a permanent ban on Kaspersky. Kaspersky Lab is now debarred from providing any security services to the US military departments and government agencies.
The prohibition also extends to all third-party contractors or subcontractors that have a US collaboration. The US government believed that the company was spying on them and was working for several Russian agencies.
Kaspersky has been providing cybersecurity facilities for Russia. It provides security specialists and intelligence offers. It assists during arrests and continually works with the Russian police.
The Russian Federation intercepts all communications through local agencies by accessing the Russian networks.
The DNS was concerned that the Russian law would allow the FSB to get access to the sensitive information of the US government. This created a serious threat to the national security of the US as the Russians can attack them using top-secret content.
Renewal Of Antivirus Subscriptions For Home Use By Workers
DoD and DISA renewed the McAfee antivirus software subscription for defense department employees. With the ranks of teleworkers increasing, the DoD renewed the contract with McAfee regarding the home use programs of antivirus software.
The license agreement of DoD with McAfee enables active DoD employees to use the antivirus program for home use.
McAfee is a trusted partner for all the cybersecurity needs of the US government. All branches of the government, including military departments, state and local government agencies, and cabinet-level agencies, use McAfee for their antivirus protection.
The Department of Defense renewed the license with McAfee to protect the personal computers of all DoD employees from spyware, viruses, and other security threats.
It provides a one-year subscription to all DoD employees free of cost to protect their computers as they download files, surf, or search online. It will protect the interests of DoD employees from malicious threats.
This contract will protect the systems of DoD employees against malware intrusion and phishing. The government updated its current teleworking guidance to include all DoD contractors.
However, the DISA bulletin stated that a significant part of the workforce would not enjoy access to the free McAfee antivirus software.
Significance Of The McAfee Contract Renewal
The contract renewal with McAfee by the DoD will serve three main purpose —
- It will safeguard the home use of computers by DoD employees.
- It will reduce the threat of malicious practices and prevent the introduction of security attacks on DoD networks.
- It will lead to a safer workplace free of any malicious threats.
However, contractors are not allowed to use free software on systems that don’t belong to the DoD. The license agreement will also help to strengthen the IT security of the DoD against spyware and transferable viruses.
Learn The Best Alternatives To Kaspersky
McAfee is a top favorite of the US government for maintaining its cybersecurity. It has strong anti-phishing features and highly impactful scans.
It removes most of the viruses and charts the industry lab tests. The DoD recently renewed its contract with McAfee to enhance their security.
The Government and military use various premium servers to protect their top secrets. The US government can’t depend on a single server as they receive continuous malware and security threats.
The government relies on Norton and McAfee for all the DoD employees. However, for the military staff and government agencies, the US government uses a blend of various cybersecurity services.
The US government, in general, refrains from using cybersecurity solutions of companies that are too close to rival foreign governments.
Final Thoughts
The US government relies on multiple top-notch cybersecurity servers for their agencies and military units. However, for the DoD segment, the US government has repeatedly shown its faith in McAfee and Norton programs.
The US government decided to cut off all ties with Kaspersky following suspicion of their connection to Russian agencies. The US military and agencies use several global antivirus programs apart from their own home-grown companies.