Why New Antivirus Software Is Being Installed on PCs

Late last week, cybersecurity firm Kaspersky began removing its antivirus software from computers located in the United States. Instead, the company automatically downloaded antivirus software from UltraAV.

If you use Kaspersky antivirus software, you may be aware that the Russian company was added to the US government entity list and banned from sales and updates in the United States earlier this year. As a result, the company told BleepingComputer in July that it had decided to close its US operations and lay off its American employees.

These events are not a secret, but it is not true that everyone knew about them. As a result, Kaspersky’s sudden and poorly explained decision to automatically remove the software came as a surprise to many.

In early September, emails were sent informing customers that the company had partnered with UltraAV to provide customers with ongoing protection even after Kaspersky withdrew from the U.S. However, the emails did not explain that this ongoing protection would be automatically installed on their computers.

For those who somehow missed the email, the transfer came as an even bigger shock. Users on Reddit and other forums expressed their surprise at the situation, as well as their distrust of the new UltraAV software. One user even worried that his computer had been compromised when he woke up to find that his Kaspersky antivirus software had disappeared and UltraAV had appeared in its place.

This distrust isn’t surprising, as little is known about the company beyond its ties to a number of VPN brands, including UltraVPN, Hotspot Shield, and Betternet. According to customer reports online, many people are uninstalling UltraAV for this reason — and because it showed up on their devices in such a disturbing way.

Kaspersky released an official statement explaining that it took this action to ensure that customers “do not experience a gap in protection after Kaspersky is withdrawn from the market.” The post also said that the company chose UltraAV because it offered similar features and products to Kaspersky. For example, people using Kaspersky’s VPN service also found UltraVPN installed on their devices.

For many people, the explanation is too vague and will probably not stop them from replacing UltraAV with a more well-known antivirus application.