The Austrian counterintelligence uses software of Kaspersky Lab

In the middle of November, 2019 it became known that the Austrian counterintelligence uses the software of Kaspersky Lab. It creates security risk of department, consider in Britain and Germany.

The Federal agency on protection of the constitution and fight against terrorism (BVT) is responsible for counterintelligence in Austria. Earlier in 2019 the British and German counterintelligence began check of BVT as all three countries are participants of the Bern club on exchange of intelligence information where 28 states of the European Union, Norway and Switzerland enter.

It became known that the Austrian counterintelligence uses the software of Kaspersky Lab

According to the results of a research weak points in the system of work with service data which exists in the Austrian counterintelligence were revealed. In particular, the low level of IT systems of protection of BVT which does not conform to requirements of processing and storage of confidential information is noted.

Also experts of the Bern club during check of work of BVT found some more defects: in particular, the electronic data processing system is connected to the Internet that can theoretically lead to the fact that it will fall into hands of terrorists. Also the staff of counterintelligence uses personal smartphones in the closed headquarters zones.

According to Deutsche Welle with reference to the Osterreich newspaper which is based in Vienna, the British counterintelligence of MI5 and German Federal agency on protection of the constitution came to a conclusion that use on computers of an anti-virus software of Kaspersky Lab is connected with "extremely high threat of espionage" concerning the Austrian service of state security.

In April, 2019 the Austrian mass media reported that the counterintelligence of Austria was temporarily isolated from contacts with representatives of the western intelligence agencies. BVT temporarily left the working groups of the Bern club because of a case with suspicion of the former employee of espionage.^[1]

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