US Kaspersky antivirus accounts have been acquired by UltraAV, a branch of the Pango Group. This acquisition follows Pango's recent separation from Aura, a security firm led by CEO Hari Ravichandran. The move comes after Kaspersky was compelled to exit the US market due to a ban imposed by the Biden administration. This ban was formalized through a Final Determination issued by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) on June 20, 2024, aimed at preventing Russia from accessing and exploiting data on American citizens.
Elevated Privileges of Antivirus Software
Antivirus software possesses a unique characteristic – it is granted significant permissions that typical applications do not receive. This is necessary so that antivirus programs can detect, isolate, and eliminate malware and viruses that may be deeply embedded within compromised systems. Countries can instruct friendly antivirus companies to utilize these heightened permissions for monitoring users, gathering data, and controlling systems. The BIS determined that Russia was instructing Kaspersky to perform such actions on American computers.
Transition to UltraAV
Due to the BIS order, Kaspersky's US operations and antivirus updates will cease at the end of September 2024. However, this prohibition does not extend to Kaspersky’s global operations, allowing users outside the US to continue using the software. As a final measure in closing its US operations, Kaspersky has sold all of its accounts to UltraAV, a US-based security provider. UltraAV claims to operate independently from Kaspersky.
All current Kaspersky users, estimated at around a million, will be automatically transitioned to the UltraAV antivirus and service unless they opt out. The service will be available at the same price for existing users. For new customers, the antivirus service will be priced at $47.88 for the first year, followed by an annual fee of $149.99. The antivirus service supports up to 20 devices and is compatible with Android, iOS (with limited functionality), Mac, and Windows platforms.
Alternatives to Kaspersky
While Microsoft has significantly enhanced its built-in antivirus software available with Windows at no cost, paid antivirus solutions tend to provide superior protection against infections. Leading alternatives include AVG, Avast, Bitdefender, McAfee, and Norton, as reported by AV Comparatives, AV Test, and Virus Bulletin. It is important to note that UltraAV has not yet been evaluated by these organizations, leaving its real-world performance uncertain.
