US sanctions 12 Kaspersky Lab execs for working in Russian tech sector

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned twelve Kaspersky Lab executives for operating in the technology sector of Russia.

These sanctions came after the Biden administration announced yesterday the ban of sales and software updates for Kaspersky antivirus software in the USA, which started in July, over potential cybersecurity risks to national security.

In addition, the Department of Commerce designated AO Kaspersky Lab and OOO Kaspersky Group (Russia), and Kaspersky Labs Limited (United Kingdom) to the Entity List, preventing any US business from conducting business with them.

“All the individuals below were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy,” reads the OFAC announcement.

Today, OFAC announced sanctions on twelve Kaspersky Lab employees in leadership positions. The twelve sanctioned Kaspersky employees and their positions are:

• Andrei Gennadyevich Tikhonov (Tikhonov) – Board member and CFO.
• Daniil Sergeyevich Borshchev (Borshchev) – Board member and Deputy CEO of Strategy and Economics
• Andrei Anatolyevich Efremov (Efremov) – Board member and Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO)
• Igor Gennadyevich Chekunov (Chekunov) – Board member Chief Legal Officer (CLO).
• Andrey Petrovich Dukhvalov (Dukhvalov) – Vice President and Director of Future Technologies
• Andrei Anatolyevich Suvorov (Suvorov) – Head of Kaspersky Operating System Business Unit
• Denis Vladimirovich Zenkin (Zenkin) – Head of Corporate Communications
• Marina Mikhaylovna Alekseeva (Alekseeva) – Chief Human Resources (HR) Officer (CHRO)
• Mikhail Yuryevich Gerber (Gerber) – Executive Vice President of Consumer Business 
• Anton Mikhaylovich Ivanov (Ivanov) – Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
• Kirill Aleksandrovich Astrakhan (Astrakhan) – Executive Vice President for Corporate Business
• Anna Vladimirovna Kulashova (Kulashova) – Managing Director for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

While many of these members report directly to the CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, the US government says they have not sanctioned Kaspersky Lab, its parent or subsidiary companies, or its CEO.

The Treasury Department says that the employees are sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 14024, which states that people determined to work in the technology sector of the Russian Federation can fall under sanctions.

“to operate or have operated in the technology sector or the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy, or any other sector of the Russian Federation economy as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State,” reads the Executive Order.

Those sanctioned have had their assets in the US frozen and can no longer access them until the sanctions are lifted.

BleepingComputer contacted Kaspersky for a statement regarding these sanctions and will update the article if we receive a response.