Italy’s data privacy watchdog investigates how Kaspersky manages Italian users’ data

Italy’s data privacy watchdog launched an investigation into the “potential risks” associated with the use of Russian antivirus software Kaspersky.

Italy’s data privacy watchdog has launched an investigation into potential risks associated with the use of the Kaspersky antivirus. The Italian authority aims at verifying how the Russian company processes the data of Italian users and whether it transfers the collected information outside the EU, including Russia.

“The Italian data privacy watchdog has opened an investigation to assess the potential risks relating to the processing of personal data of Italian customers carried out by the Russian company that supplies the Kaspersky antivirus software.” reads the official announcement. “The initiative undertaken ex officio by the Authority was necessary in relation to the war events in Ukraine, in order to investigate the alarms launched by numerous Italian and European bodies specialized in computer security on the possible use of that product for cyber attacks against users Italians.”

The watchdog asked Kaspersky Lab to provide the number and type of Italian customers, as well as detailed information on the way the company’s solutions process the personal data of the users.

The Agency also requests Kaspersky Lab to indicate the number of requests from governmental authorities of third countries for acquisition or communication of personal data for Italian entities.

Kaspersky must provide data related to the request submitted from 1 January 2021, distinguishing them by country and indicating how many of them were served by the Russian firm.

The announcement follows the recommendation issued by Italy’s cybersecurity agency, ACN, to diversify the use of Russian software warning of a potential “technological risk” following the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Recently Germany’s cybersecurity agency BSI recommended consumers uninstall Kaspersky anti-virus software. The Agency warns the cybersecurity firm could be implicated in hacking attacks during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Frances’ National Agency for the security of information systems (ANSSI) has called for “questioning” the use of the Kaspersky software.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Kaspersky)