Thought Leadership
US customers of the Russian cyber security company Kaspersky found themselves in an unusual situation last Thursday: Their trusted antivirus software had disappeared and a new program called UltraAV had been installed instead.
The replacement of the software is the result of a series of political and economic decisions. In June, the US government placed Kaspersky on the so-called “Entity List”, a list of foreign companies that are classified as a potential threat to national security. The Biden administration then imposed a ban on the sale and update of Kaspersky products in the US, which is due to come into force on September 29, 2024. In response, Kaspersky announced the closure of its US business and the dismissal of its employees there. In order to continue to offer its customers protection, Kaspersky entered into a partnership with UltraAV, a Pango Group company.
At the beginning of September, Kaspersky informed its customers by email that they would continue to receive “reliable cyber protection” from the same UltraAV even after the end of software distribution and updates for US customers. However, these emails did not mention that the Kaspersky products would be removed from users’ computers and replaced without warning.
The way in which the switch to UltraAV was carried out therefore caused considerable uncertainty among Kaspersky users. Many customers reported in online forums about the sudden installation of UltraAV without prior information. Some users initially feared a malware infection of their devices. Attempts to uninstall UltraAV led in some cases to an automatic reinstallation after restarting the computer. For some users, UltraVPN was also installed, presumably as a replacement for Kaspersky VPN subscriptions.
A Kaspersky employee explained in an official forum post that the partnership with UltraAV is intended to ensure continued protection for US customers. On September 19, US customers received a software update that initiated the transition to UltraAV. The aim was to ensure a seamless continuation of protection after Kaspersky’s withdrawal from the market. Kaspersky emphasizes that UltraAV offers similar features to its own products and refers customers to an UltraAV FAQ page for more information.
