DHS, White House seek authority to ban government vendors without an explanation

The ability to ban, without public explanation, vendors that pose cybersecurity risks to the federal supply chain would be “a useful authority,” according to a key Department of Homeland Security official who is working with the White House on implementing its recently released national cyber strategy.

“Kaspersky antivirus software is sort of the prime example,” of why such authority is needed, Emile Monette, co-chair of DHS' Information and Communications Technology Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force, said at a Thursday...