Home Kaspersky Antivirus deletes itself, installs UltraAV with no warning

Kaspersky Antivirus deletes itself, installs UltraAV with no warning

TLDR

  • Kaspersky Antivirus was replaced by UltraAV for US users due to a federal sanction in June.
  • The switch occurred in mid-September, but many users were surprised by the automatic change.
  • Kaspersky notified customers about the transition beginning on September 5, 2024.

Kaspersky Antivirus has been replaced with UltraAV for U.S. users, with the software being deleted from computers and the new company’s software installed. Some customers aren’t happy with the change.

The company has removed its antivirus software from computers across the United States following the federal sanction in June. This is a response to the US Government ban on all cybersecurity and anti-virus products from Russian-based Kaspersky Lab.

According to posts from Reddit users, the switchover began last Thursday. The company did tell its customers that the change would be taking place.

They also told U.S. customers at the beginning of the month that they would still receive cybersecurity protection under their paid subscriptions and that the services would be provided by UltraAV.

So I had kaspersky now I got UltraAV because of the transfer. What should I go with now?
byu/Lordcole51 inantivirus

On the UltraAV website, under the FAQ section, the transition is detailed and tells Windows users that “no action is required” in the handover. They write that “by mid-September you will have access to UltraAV and UltraVPN on your Windows desktop.”

This changeover has prompted customers to take to social media to share their experiences, with several claiming to not have known that the new software would be automatically installed.

On the Kaspersky Support Forum, someone started a thread with the title “Who gave you permission to put UltraAV on my computer?”

Kaspersky says they began notifying customers in early September

Under the question ‘Was I notified of this transition?’ on the UltraAV’s FAQ page, it says: “Kaspersky began notifying its U.S. customers of the transition to UltraAV beginning September 5, 2024.

“All Kaspersky U.S. users with a valid email address associated with their accounts received email communication detailing the transition process.

“There were also notifications and details of the transition in-app, in your MyKaspersky account pages and on Kaspersky Labs’ webpages. All Kaspersky notifications directed customers to ultrasecureav.com for more information about the transition.”

Featured Image: Via Midjourney

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Sophie Atkinson
Tech Journalist

Sophie Atkinson is a UK-based journalist and content writer, as well as a founder of a content agency which focuses on storytelling through social media marketing. She kicked off her career with a Print Futures Award which champions young talent working in print, paper and publishing. Heading straight into a regional newsroom, after graduating with a BA (Hons) degree in Journalism, Sophie started by working for Reach PLC. Now, with five years experience in journalism and many more in content marketing, Sophie works as a freelance writer and marketer. Her areas of specialty span a wide range, including technology, business,…

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