After the US government banned Kaspersky security software, customers were supposed to be notified that they would be switched to a different antivirus product automatically. However, many customers claim they were not aware of this transition. Several Kaspersky users took to social media to express their surprise and frustration at finding UltraAV software installed on their devices without their knowledge.
One Reddit user shared, “I was using Kaspersky, didn’t realize they’d be shuffling us off to some rando AV in September. Nearly had a heart attack when I started my pc today and found a program I didn’t download.” Another user mentioned, “Woke up to Kaspersky completely gone from my system with Ultra AV and Ultra VPN freshly installed (not by me, just automatically while I slept). No sign of Kaspersky anywhere on my system and Ultra AV’s settings are non-existent.”
Customers also voiced their concerns on Kaspersky’s support forum, criticizing the lack of communication regarding the transition to UltraAV. One user stated, “This morning I turned on my PC. Never had an issue with KAV [Kaspersky Antivirus]. I know US gov’t cancelled KAV–not happy. Well this unknown company and its software UltraAV automatically installed on my computer. I was never asked nor notified that this installation would happen.”
The decision to move US Kaspersky customers to a different product was made following a ban by the Biden administration due to security concerns. Kaspersky announced that customers would be migrated to Pango Group’s UltraAV software as a continuation of their subscriptions. While Kaspersky claims that all customers were notified of the transition in early September, some users reported not receiving the notification email or being unaware of the change.
Sydney Harwood, a spokesperson for Pango, stated that customers were informed of the transition and would receive further instructions on how to activate their accounts. However, the effectiveness of email communication in reaching all customers was questioned, as messages can be overlooked or lost.
The lack of a seamless transition process has left many customers frustrated and questioning whether they had the option to refuse the new software. Avi Fleischer, a Kaspersky customer, expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, “They should’ve given me the option to accept UltraAV or not. They should NEVER push software onto someone’s computer without explicit permission.”
The incident raises concerns about the responsibility of Kaspersky, Pango, and the customers themselves in ensuring a smooth transition process. Whether the blame lies with inadequate communication, lack of choice for customers, or oversight on the part of the users, it is clear that the transition from Kaspersky to UltraAV was not handled properly. Customers should have been given the opportunity to opt out of the new software and make an informed decision about their antivirus protection.
