Fears Moscow will target Barclays software
A BRITISH bank is recommending software to its millions of customers that could give Russian spies a ‘back door’ into their computers.
Barclays is offering Moscow- based Kaspersky Lab’s anti-virus software for free to its users online. The promotion has continued despite a series of allegations against Kaspersky, with the US government ditching its products due to security fears.
It is at the centre of a probe by authorities because of its suspected ties to Vladimir Putin’s government – a charge Kaspersky Lab strongly denies.
The firm’s anti-virus software is thought to have been used by Russian hackers to steal computer spying tools used by the US National Security Agency.
These were then leaked online in what was described as one of the worst intelligence leaks of the modern era.
This prompted the US government to ban its departments from using Kaspersky software, with questions also raised about its promotion by Barclays in the UK.
Yesterday a spokesman for the bank said it contacted the National Cyber Security Centre, part of the British surveillance agency GCHQ, for advice but was not informed of any concerns about the software. However the NCSC said it was not its role to issue such advice.
It also emerged yesterday that City of London Police worked with Kaspersky Lab to train investigators in cyber-crime detection from August 2014 to May 2015.
A spokesman would not say whether the force, which is the UK’s lead police authority on fraud and cyber crime, also used the company’s popular anti-virus software.
He added: ‘City of London Police has not conducted this training programme since May 2015.’ The promotion of Kaspersky software by Barclays has also sparked concern at GCHQ, the Financial Times claimed yesterday.
But a Kaspersky Lab spokesman insisted this was based on ‘no evidence’. She added: ‘The only goal of our products and services is to protect users from cyber threats.’
Kaspersky Lab is one of the world’s biggest cyber security companies, providing anti-virus protection to hundreds of millions of customers. Barclays said: ‘We have never received any advice or guidance from GCHQ or the National Cyber Security Centre in relation to Kaspersky.’