UltraAV, an antivirus program that advertises many of the usual features that are expected in its product category, including what’s been described as industry-leading protection against adware, malware, and spyware, is being automatically installed on PCs with Kaspersky due to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s recent decision in banning Kaspersky from selling or updating certain antivirus products in the U.S., Kaspersky has confirmed. Vadim N, an employee with Kaspersky, shared the news on the official Kaspersky forum this weekend following complaints from users about how UltraAV had been automatically installed on their PCs without their permission, driving some to wonder whether they were facing a malware infection.
Vadim N writes:
- “Following the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce that prohibits Kaspersky from selling or updating certain antivirus products in the United States, Kaspersky partnered with antivirus provider UltraAV to ensure continued protection for US-based customers that will no longer have access to Kaspersky’s protections.”
- “Kaspersky and UltraAV worked closely to ensure customers would maintain the standards of security and privacy users have come to expect from their service.”
- “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.”
A comparison chart that shows how UltraAV lines up with Kaspersky:
UltraAV has told Kaspersky users regarding the transition:
No action is required [for Windows Users]. By mid-September you will have access to UltraAV & UltraVPN on your Windows desktop. If you are a paying Kaspersky customer, when the transition is complete UltraAV protection will be active on your device and you will be able to leverage all of the additional premium features.
By mid-September, [Mac & Android Users] will receive an email notification when your product is ready to set up. Click on the link in the email and follow the onboarding process. Alternatively, you can open the Kaspersky Mac/Android product and follow the instructions from there.