Customers in the US using antivirus software from the Moscow-based cybersecurity company Kaspersky are finding that the software has been deleted and replaced by antivirus protection from a different company, UltraAV. The switch, Kaspersky says, was communicated to customers by email, but apparently is still taking some by surprise, according to sites including The Hacker News and TechCrunch.
The reason for the switch goes back to a July announcement from Kaspersky that it would be exiting the US market due to Department of Commerce sanctions against the company that prohibit its software.
In a statement to CNET, Kaspersky says that it partnered with UltraAV, a company owned by Pango Group, a holding company based in Burlington, Massachusetts, to keep US-based customers protected.
"Information about the transition has been communicated to all US users eligible for the replacement, in a series of email communications by Kaspersky and UltraAV," the company said in a statement. "Kaspersky and UltraAV are implementing the transition in waves, to ensure the process is smooth and that the users will not experience a gap in their protection upon Kaspersky's exit from the market."
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A webpage offers detailed information about the transition and the UltraAV product. The company welcomes users to the software, which it says includes a password manager, VPN and identity theft protection. Its antivirus software can be used on up to 20 devices, but that doesn't include iOS devices. The company does offer its UltraVPN software for iOS, however.
UltraAV says billing and fees won't change and that users will receive instructions on how to activate their new accounts.
In a chart comparing features, UltraAV says it lacks Kaspersky's webcam protection and online payment protection features, but has real-time authentication alerts, high-risk transaction monitoring and $1 million identity-theft insurance, features lacking in the Kaspersky software. UltraAV says that customers began getting notifications about the transition on Sept. 5 over email and that there were also notifications in the Kaspersky app and account pages.
The cutoff for Kaspersky support or updates is Sept. 30, according to UltraAV's FAQ.