New Federal Contracting Rule Cuts Off Kaspersky

Expanding on a directive from the Department of Homeland Security requiring agencies to remove Kaspersky Labs software from federal systems, the administration has issued a new interim rule to extend the governmentwide ban to contractors as well.

The rule – issued by the GSA, DOD, and NASA – amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require that all contracts and solicitations finalized after July 16 include language prohibiting the presence of Kaspersky products.

The rule applies not just to federal contracts but also smaller “micro” purchases and the purchase of commercial off the shelf items, which are often exempt from many contracting regulations. The notice states that the interim rule was issued without prior public comment due to “urgent and compelling reasons.”