GERMAN cybersecurity agency BSI urged consumers to not use antivirus software made by Russia’s Kaspersky, warning the firm can be implicated in hacking assaults amid the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s military and intelligence activities in Ukraine, and its threats to European Union and Nato allies, particularly Germany, mean that there is “a considerable risk of a successful IT attack”, said the agency in a statement.

“A Russian IT manufacturer can itself carry out offensive operations and be forced to attack target systems against its will, or be itself spied on as a victim of a cyberoperation without its knowledge or misused as a tool for attacks against its own customers.”

Companies and operators of critical infrastructure are particularly vulnerable, but individuals can also be hit, said BSI, inviting anyone in doubt to contact it for advice.

The United States banned government agencies from using Kaspersky software as early as 2017.

Kaspersky has always rejected accusations that it works with the Kremlin. But its business has been badly hit by the US ban, which came into effect at a time when the company’s software was installed on hundreds of millions of computers worldwide.

Military and cyber-specialists fear that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can lead to an outbreak of cyberattacks – a “cyber Armageddon”, which will have major consequences for civilians in both countries and also worldwide, through a spillover effect.

But a worst-case scenario has so far been avoided, as the attacks observed appear to be contained in their impact and geographical scope.

Germany has in recent years repeatedly accused Russia of cyber-espionage attempts.

The most high-profile incident blamed on Russian hackers to date was a cyberattack in 2015, which paralysed the computer network of the lower house of Parliament, the Bundestag, forcing the entire institution offline for days while it was fixed.

Russia has denied being behind such activities. – AFP, March 15, 2022.