World-renowned cybersecurity company Kaspersky has closed its US operations. The company announced that it made the decision after the US government added Kaspersky to a list that identified it as a ‘national security threat.’ Customers in the US are reporting that Kaspersky software has suddenly been deleted from their computers and replaced by another antivirus program called UltraAV.

Kaspersky is ending its presence in the US

In June 2024, the US administration announced that it would ban the sale and updates of Kaspersky software. This decision was made on the grounds that Kaspersky products posed a potential national security risk. In July, the company began laying off employees and announced that it would cease its operations in the US.

The company had stated in emails to customers that it had partnered with UltraAV and that cybersecurity protection for users in the US would continue with this program. However, many users were unaware of the sudden change in software. Users who found UltraAV in place of the application when they turned on their computers one morning expressed concern about this unexpected change.

The company said UltraAV has similar features to Kaspersky and that they are doing their best to ensure that users are not negatively affected by this transition. However, users were concerned that the software was installed without their knowledge and that some users were reinstalling UltraAV after uninstalling it.

Support for antivirus software will be completely discontinued in the US as of September 29, 2024. After this date, those who continue to use their software will be vulnerable to cybersecurity risks. The company said it recommends its customers to use the additional features offered by UltraAV.