Kaspersky Rolls Back for US Customers, Makes Way for UltraAV

Kaspersky has pulled back its anti-malware software from its US customers’ devices, due to a ban put in place by the US Department of Commerce, and is now partnering with antivirus provider UltraAV to automatically replace the lost software. 

Kaspersky shut down its US operations and laid off its US-based employees after its June addition to the Entity List, a catalog of “foreign individuals, companies, and organizations deemed a national security concern.”

The ban was first announced by the Biden administration in June, due to potential national security risks. Kaspersky then began emailing customers in September, assuring them that they would receive continued cybersecurity protection from UltraAV — the notice, however, reportedly failed to mention that the switch of software in user systems would be automatic.

Kaspersky has not responded to a request for comment.

Roll Up the Welcome Mat

Some users who experienced this update aren’t pleased with the change. 

“I don’t trust UltraAV for a few reasons,” said one user on Reddit. “Not only do I not trust it but apparently I need to login to even do a system scan.”

Another user thought that a virus had been installed on their system because they didn’t know about the transfer and planned on uninstalling UltraAV. A third user agreed, stating that they had already switched to Bitdefender.

Kaspersky assures former customers, however, that it worked together closely with UltraAV to maintain security standards, and that the transition went into effect on Sept. 19 to ensure that “users would not experience a gap in protection upon Kaspersky’s exit from the market.”

However, if customers find themselves looking to ditch their new antivirus software, other users have posted step-by-step instructions as to how they got rid of their own — though while these methods have certainly been tried, it’s unclear if they will remain true and keep the newly downloaded software out.