The City of Portland's Bureau of Technology Services is prepared to stop using software from Moscow-based cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab. The move comes after Reuters reported the Trump Administration removed the company from its list of approved vendors used by government agencies because of concerns over cyber-espionage.
Christopher Paidhrin, Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Portland, says the city did not receive direct communication from the Government Services Administration regarding its removal of Kaspersky Lab from its list of approved vendors for purchasing technology equipment and software.
“We are concerned, we are mindful and we are extremely interested in learning more about the federal concerns for this software," said Paidhrin.
The city currently uses Kaspersky Lab software to filter inbound email for spam. It’s one of three pieces of software the city uses to filter malicious emails.
The city currently evaluates all its software and hardware on an annual basis. It has not independently determined Kaspersky Labs to be a threat to the city’s security.
Still, Paidhrin said the city is already consulting with its security appliance vendor about whether or not it can turn off the software.
“We will be cautious, and we will seek United States territorial sources for our devices and software,” he said.
“The world of information security is global, and therefore we constantly deal with foreign actors and foreign threats, not particularly targeting the city of Portland but generally. The bad actors of the world are constantly knocking at our digital door," said Paidhrin.
