Kaspersky Replaced Security Solution in US with UltraAV on Users’ PCs without Notification

US-based Kaspersky security solution users have been facing a unique situation in the past few days as their own antivirus software had been replaced with another one called UltraAV. While this move has been announced on social media networks a while ago, it seems that customers had not received any communication about it in their inbox.

Booting up the PC and seeing that your security solution has been replaced by something else without your knowledge is not exactly something people expect or desire. This incident has been reported numerous times on Reddit and other channels, as users started protesting against the practice and asking for pro-rated refunds.

Has your antivirus been replaced by UltraAV? Here is some context

In June of 2024, the US administration decided to ban Kaspersky, a Russian cybersecurity company catering to individuals and businesses, from operating within the United States. The deadline is September 29.

The ban means that Kaspersky can no longer sell its products in the US and that already installed apps won’t receive any updates going forward. This meant that existing users needed to look for alternatives as the existing security solution would not be effective without updates.

Kaspersky migrates user accounts to brand-new UltraAV

Only a few weeks ago, Kaspersky posted on their social media channels that their customers have been sold to Pangdo, the parent company of a new antivirus named UltraAV. They would be getting its user base in the US, with the same subscription and prices. People would be getting instructions on how to migrate to UltraAV.

In reality, people started to notice that the Kaspersky had deleted itself  and that a product called UltraAV that they had not heard of before, was now installed. Users reported that they didn’t receive any notification or migration instructions. Done deal.

Making matters worse, some users have also reported that after they uninstalled UltraAV, it showed up again after reboot. Also, a number of people outside of the US say that their Kaspersky software had been manually uninstalled before, but their devices still got the UltraAV antivirus plus a VPN app on top of it.

After users started to report the forced migration, Kaspersky posted an announcement on their forums that everything was done through an update.

“Kaspersky has additionally partnered with UltraAV to make the transition to their product as seamless as possible, which is why on 9/19, U.S. Kaspersky antivirus customers received a software update facilitating the transition to UltraAV. This update ensured that users would not experience a gap in protection upon Kaspersky’s exit from the market,” said the company in a short announcement.

What exactly is UltraAV?

For many computer users at home, the antivirus running on top of their operating system is just a utility, even if it’s the single most important application for their digital safety. And that’s why the US government banned one in the first place.

While most antimalware vendors go through significant independent reviews to prove that they’re up to the game, UltraAV does not appear to have been put to any kind of consecrated industry test until now.

What can you do about it?

In less than one week, computer users who have been transitioned to UltraAV and whose former Kaspersky subscription runs out, will have to renew for one year.  If you’re not happy with your forced UltraAV replacement, you can always check alternatives. We already have a migration plan set up, not to mention that you get a fantastic deal if you choose Bitdefender as a former Kaspersky user.