(NEWSnet/AP) — Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky denied Friday it is a security threat, after U.S. Department of Commerce banned use of its software in the United States.

The Moscow-based company, whose CEO Eugene Kaspersky resides in Russia, said the decision will not affect its ability to sell and promote its cybersecurity products and training in the U.S.

Kaspersky said the government had based its decision on the “geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns,” rather than independently verifying if there is a risk.

The government says Kaspersky’s Russian connections mean the company poses an “undue or unacceptable risk to U.S. national security or the safety and security.”

The department said it considered Kaspersky’s objection to the initial findings of the investigation into whether products or services pose a threat, and found the decision to ban its software is “well-supported.”

Aside from the company’s obligation to abide by Russia's laws, its software can be exploited to identify sensitive U.S. citizens’ data and make it available to Russia’s government, the Commerce department said.

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