Japan's NTT Mulls Ending Use Of Russian Anti-Virus Software

Japanese telecommunications giant NTT group is considering terminating its use of anti-virus software produced by a Russian company, sources close to the matter said Friday, Kyodo News reported.

Photo Insert: The NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building in Tokyo

The move comes after the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in March added Kaspersky Lab to its list of companies offering telecommunications equipment and services that pose a security threat to the United States.

Kaspersky provides security-related software and highly confidential virtual private line services to individuals and corporations.

An official of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) group said that it has not confirmed any safety problems with Kaspersky's products but added "we will consider switching to an alternative product at a reasonable time in the future."

After the FCC added Kaspersky to the list, the company said that it "doesn't have any ties with any government, including Russia's."

"The company believes that transparency and the continued implementation of concrete measures to demonstrate its enduring commitment to integrity and trustworthiness to its customers is paramount," it said in a statement.

When the FCC announced the list including Kaspersky, it did not cite Russia's invasion of Ukraine that was launched on Feb. 24.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic