US intelligence agencies have suspected for months that Kaspersky Lab, the Russian cyber security and anti-virus provider, has close ties to Russian intelligence agencies, which allegedly, may use the company's products to gain access to US government computers and networks. Last month, FBI agents visited at least a dozen US employees of Kaspersky Lab at their homes as part of an investigation into its operations.

The Trump administration has now removed the firm from two lists of approved vendors used by government agencies to purchase IT services and equipment. According to a spokeswoman for the US General Services Administration, the decision was made "after review and careful consideration".

Kaspersky Lab said that it has not yet been informed by any US government agency about its vendor status, and stated that "by all appearances, Kaspersky Lab happened to be dragged into a geopolitical fight where each side is trying to use the company as a pawn in its game".

Kaspersky Lab has repeatedly claimed that the company does not have ties to any government. Its founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky, even offered to testify before Congress and turn over the source code of his company's products to US authorities.

Source: Reuters