Kaspersky arbitrarily installs other antivirus software on user devices

Kaspersky has decided to close its operations and lay off employees in the US in response to the US placing Kaspersky on the Entity List in June. The Entity List includes “foreign individuals, companies, and organizations that pose a national security risk.”

On June 20, the administration of President Joe Biden also announced a ban on the sale and updates of Kaspersky antivirus software in the US from September 29, 2024 due to national security risks.

In July, Kaspersky said it would begin closing its businesses and laying off employees starting July 20 because of the ban. In early September, the Russian security company sent an email to customers, reassuring them that they would continue to receive reliable security services from UltraAV after Kaspersky ceased operations in the United States. However, the email did not say that its products would be abruptly removed and replaced with UltraAV on users’ computers.

According to many customers, UltraAV software was installed on their computers without any notification. Many people feared that their devices were infected with malware.

One person shared: “I woke up and saw the new antivirus software on my computer, I tried to open Kaspersky but it was gone. So I looked up what happened because I was afraid that somehow my computer was infected and uninstalled Kaspersky.”

Worse, while some were able to remove UltraAV using the software's uninstaller tool, others found it reappearing after rebooting, further exacerbating their malware infection fears.

According to Bleeping Computer, there is not much information about UltraAV, except that it is a product of Pango Group - the owner of a number of VPN tools such as Hotspot Shield, UltraVPN, Betternet and Comparitech (a website that reviews VPN software).

On its website, UltraAV explains that for Kaspersky users, once the migration is complete, UltraAV will be activated on the device and users will be able to use all paid features.

A Kaspersky employee also shared an official statement on the company’s forum regarding the forced switch to UltraAV, stating that Kaspersky has partnered with UltraAV to ensure continued protection for US customers who are no longer protected by Kaspersky.