Tech firms let Russia probe software widely used by U.S. government

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a building, which houses the office of HP Russia, in Moscow, Russia August 30, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Major global technology providers SAP, Symantec and McAfee have allowed Russian authorities to hunt for vulnerabilities in software deeply embedded across the U.S. government, a Reuters investigation has found.

The practice potentially jeopardizes the security of computer networks in at least a dozen federal agencies, U.S. lawmakers and security experts said. It involves more companies and a broader swath of the government than previously reported.