The company's founder made remarks Tuesday in Sao Paulo, Brazil when a U.S. security researcher asked him about recent press reports.

Chief Executive Eugene Kaspersky confirmed the decision on social media after Reuters reported that the anti-virus company had plans to close its D.C.-area office.

The move comes as the FBI is privately counseling American businesses to uninstall products that are created and sold by Moscow-based cybersecurity giant Kaspersky Lab.

The U.S. government may have a more extensive role to play in defending computer networks belonging specifically to American critical infrastructure companies, according to White House Homeland Security Adviser Thomas Bossert, although most are owned and operated by the private sector.

Lookout says a newly discovered variant of mobile malware, dubbed xRAT, represents the latest iteration of a sophisticated cyber-espionage tool previously used by the Chinese government.

Kaspersky Lab released research on a group hackers with ties to Russia. The findings come as FBI agents continue to dissuade private U.S. companies from purchasing and relying on Kaspersky.