The Australian Commonwealth government has banned using Kaspersky Lab Inc. products and services on all non-corporate entities. This recent directive (002-2025) issued by the Department of Home Affairs states that government entities must refrain from installing Kaspersky’s products and online services on government systems and devices. Additionally, all existing instances are required to be removed and reported as completed by April 1, 2025. This new directive is applicable to all the non-corporate commonwealth entities that are subject to the PGPA Act.
This decision aligns Australia with a few other nations, including the USA, UK, and Canada, which have already restricted the use of Kaspersky Lab Inc. products due to concerns about the potential influence of the Russian government on the company. Although no specific evidence of wrongdoing has been provided, the ban has been justified under the Protective Security Policy Framework, aimed at managing risks to national security. Further guidance regarding the security measures, permitted use cases, etc., for Kaspersky products is outlined in Policy Explanatory Note 002-25.
Kaspersky has denied all these allegations, saying that this sudden ban is politically motivated and lacks a technical assessment of the company’s software. The cybersecurity firm argues that it operates independently and does not have ties to any government. Although Kaspersky Lab Inc. has halted its operations in the U.S., it will continue to offer its cybersecurity services in Australia, excluding non-corporate use.
While Kaspersky remains available for private and business users in Australia, its removal from government systems raises broader questions about the role of politics in shaping technology regulations.
This action by the Australian government highlights the increasing geopolitical tensions impacting global cybersecurity policies. Earlier in February, Australia also banned DeepSeek’s AI tools over national security and data privacy concerns. With cybersecurity risks on the rise, more governments are reassessing their reliance on foreign software for critical infrastructure and national security operations.
