It has ordered removing all Kaspersky products and services from official systems by April Fool's Day 2025, and prohibits any future installations.

Department of Home Affairs Secretary Stephanie Foster said: "After considering threat and risk analysis, I have determined that the use of Kaspersky Lab products and web services by Australian Government entities poses an unacceptable security risk to Australian Government, networks and data, arising from threats of foreign interference, espionage and sabotage."

She further emphasised the necessity of sending a "strong policy signal" to critical infrastructure and other governmental bodies regarding the perils associated with Kaspersky's products.

Kaspersky expressed disappointment, asserting that the decision "stems from the current geopolitical climate and was not supported by any technical assessment of the company's products."

The company lamented the lack of prior warning or opportunity to address the government's concerns, highlighting the directive's political nature.

This move aligns Australia with other Western nations distancing themselves from Kaspersky.

The United States banned the company's software from government systems in 2017 and extended the prohibition to all American consumers in 2024.

Similarly, Germany and Canada have taken steps to limit using Kaspersky software within their governmental infrastructures.