Kaspersky antivirus users have been expecting changes for a while, as the ban on the Russia-based software is set to fully take effect on September 29. However, some paying customers were caught off guard when something unexpected happened last week.
Instead of waiting until the official deadline, Kaspersky began quietly removing its software from users’ devices and replacing it with a different antivirus app called UltraAV, which is a competitor.
This sudden switch caused confusion and worry among Kaspersky’s users. Many thought they were experiencing a malware attack when their familiar antivirus software disappeared and UltraAV showed up in its place.
While Kaspersky had previously sent an email explaining that a transition was coming, the message didn’t clearly explain how it would happen. Starting on September 19, the replacement began automatically as part of a software update. Users were even more concerned when they tried to uninstall UltraAV but found they couldn’t do so easily.
Kaspersky later responded to the situation with an official statement on its forums. The company confirmed that its antivirus app had been automatically deleted and replaced with UltraAV. They also provided a link to a webpage with more details about the transition to UltraAV.
In addition, some users noticed that Ultra VPN had been installed on their computers as well, which seems to be connected to those who had Kaspersky VPN subscriptions.
If you’re still using Kaspersky and don’t like how they handled the switch to UltraAV, you don’t need to wait for the company to make the change for you. You can uninstall the software yourself and choose a different antivirus program. There are plenty of alternative options available, and Bleeping Computer has a list of apps you can use as replacements for Kaspersky.
