Italian public sector told to replace antivirus software linked to Russia

FILE PHOTO: A man walks next to Russian Kaspersky stand during the GSMA's 2022 Mobile World Congress (MWC), in Barcelona, Spain, March 2, 2022. REUTERS/Albert Gea/

ROME (Reuters) -Italy's public authorities must replace antivirus software that is linked to Russia to prevent any disruption of services due to the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, a draft decree seen by Reuters said on Friday.

The move comes as Italy's data regulator starts a probe into potential privacy risks connected to the use of software provided by Russia-based Kaspersky Lab, amid growing concerns over potential cybersecurity attacks.