Britain's Cyber Security Said not to use Kaspersky Antivirus

Britain's cybersecurity organization has advised government departments not to use antivirus software from Moscow-based firm Kaspersky Lab in the midst of concerns about Russian snooping.

Ciaran Martin, leader of the National Cyber Security Center, said "Russia is acting against the U.K's. national interest in cyberspace."

In a letter dated Friday to common service chiefs, he said Russia seeks "to target U.K. focal government and the U.K's. basic national infrastructure." He advised that "a Russia-based supplier should never be used" for systems that arrangement with issues identified with national security.

The organization said it's not advising the general population everywhere against using Kaspersky's mainstream antivirus products.

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Martin said British authorities are holding talks with Kaspersky about creating checks to keep the "transfer of U.K. information to the Russian state."

Kaspersky has denied wrongdoing and says it doesn't assist Russian cyberespionage efforts.

In September, the U.S. government banished elected agencies from using Kaspersky products because of concerns about the organization's ties to the Kremlin and Russian spy operations.

News reports have since connected Kaspersky software to a claimed robbery of cybersecurity data from the U.S. National Security Agency.

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Britain has issued increasingly strong warnings about Russia's online movement. Martin said last month that Russian hackers had focused on the U.K's. media, telecommunications and vitality sectors in the past year.

U.S. authorities are investigating claimed Russian intruding in the 2016 presidential decision, and some British lawmakers have required a similar test into the U.K's. European Union membership choice.

PM Theresa May said last month that Russia was "weaponizing data" and intruding in elections to undermine the international request.