Kaspersky company, linked to Russian security services to install ‘antivirus’ programs on Bosnian government computers

The Russian company Kaspersky, which is linked by Western officials to the intelligence services of the Russian Federation, will install an “anti-virus” system in the Council of Ministers of BiH. The supplier of this software is Prointer, a company linked to Igor Dodik, son of the President of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.

The contract with Prointer for the supply of Kaspersky anti-virus software was signed on 27 December 2022 by the Council of Ministers of BiH. The entire tender procedure was carried out by the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of BiH.

“The Parties agree that the Provider Group: Prointer IT Solutions and Services – Prointer IT Solutions and Services d.o.o. Sarajevo, and Prointer ITSSS d.o.o. Banja Luka – a member of the Infinity International Group – selected as the most advantageous tenderer for the upgrade and support for the End-point security system in the Council of Ministers of BiH, and on the basis of a competitive procedure for the delivery of tenders for the procurement of the upgrade and support for the End-point security system in the Council of Ministers of BiH,” reads Article 1 of the Agreement signed by the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a representative of Prointer.

Prointer’s representative signed the contract on 28 December 2022.

According to the tender documentation, Prointer will supply the Council of Ministers of BiH with the “End-point Security solutions” licences – Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business – Advanced 200.

Therefore, the company Prointer, which, according to the testimony of his father Milorad Dodik, Igor Dodik is related to, will supply this protection software.

“Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business ADVANCED offers a combination of cutting-edge security technologies and a far-reaching management system, all controlled via a single management console – a PC,” they said at the Kaspersky Protection Systems presentation.

Now let’s see what Kaspersky is doing. According to Reuters, last February US authorities warned companies about the dangers of Kaspersky software.

“The US government began privately warning some US companies the day after Russia attacked Ukraine that Moscow could manipulate software designed by Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky to cause harm,” Reuters reported on 31 March last year.

A warning similar to the US one was issued by the German authorities.

“The anti-virus software produced by the Russian company Kaspersky should be replaced by another product, given that it is linked to the manufacturer’s servers, which could be used as a backdoor to users’ computers in the West by intelligence services loyal to the Kremlin even without the knowledge of the company itself.” , said a press release from the German Federal Office for Cyber Security.

The founder of Kaspersky is Eugen Kaspersky, who is described by US officials as a former Russian intelligence officer, according to Reuters.

A senior US official told Reuters last year that Russian police or intelligence agencies could force Kaspersky staff based in Russia to provide or help set up remote access to their clients’ computers.

The company that supplies software and licences to Russia’s Kaspersky in BiH is the Banja Luka-based Prointer, which is linked to Igor Dodik, the son of SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, who makes no secret of his links to Vladimir Putin’s regime.

“He is not an owner, nor is he an authorized person, but he is an associate of this company, he deals with new technologies, cooperates with foreign companies and has income from this,” said Milorad Dodik, among other things, in July 2017, in response to opposition MPs in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska./Istraga.ba/