Italy set to curb use of Russian anti-virus software in public sector

REUTERS/Albert Gea/File Photo ROME, March 17 (Reuters) - Italys government is poised to curb the use of Russian anti-virus software in the public sector in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, fearing Moscow could hijack the programs to hack key websites, officials said. Kasperskys office in Italy said it was monitoring the situation with "great concern" and was especially worried about its employees, warning that they risked suffering from decisions that were based on geopolitics rather than technical issues. "We hope that this attitude will not lead to the implementation of illiberal legislation that would primarily affect our Italian partners, families and citizens," Kaspersky said in an email to Reuters. In a recommendation issued on Tuesday, Italys state cybersecurity agency said there was no evidence products provided by companies linked to Russia had been compromised since the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. read more In a sign that Italys business world was also sensitive about its ties with Kaspersky, Formula One team Ferrari said on Thursday its sponsorship deal with the firm had been suspended by mutual agreement.