After the ban on operating in the US, Kaspersky Lab decided to sell its customer base to the American company Pango Group. As a result, many users of Kaspersky software noticed that their usual antivirus is automatically replaced by the little-known antivirus software UltraAV. This change occurred without prior notice, which caused dissatisfaction among users, some of whom faced difficulties in removing the new software using standard Windows tools.
According to reports on forums, this transition came as a complete surprise to a number of users, who reported the reinstallation of UltraAV even after attempts to remove it. Pango Group, in turn, stated that no action is required from users: access to UltraAV and Ultra VPN will be provided automatically, and antivirus subscriptions will remain the same.
Some users expressed doubts about the reliability of UltraAV, as this product has not been tested in well-known laboratories and has no positive reviews. Kaspersky Lab products, on the other hand, often occupied high positions in antivirus software ratings. In addition, Pango Group was registered relatively recently, in 2018, and does not have experience comparable to Kaspersky Lab.
Pango Group offers services in the field of information security, including antivirus, VPN services, and password managers. It is important to note that the VPN service it provides is outside the jurisdiction of the countries that make up the Five Eyes alliance (an intelligence alliance that includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States), which is advertised as an advantage for users. Users also drew attention to the digital signature of the UltraAV installer from the Indian company Max Secure Software India Pvt. Ltd.
The expulsion of Kaspersky Lab from the United States began under President Donald Trump, when the US Department of Justice banned the use of their software in federal government agencies due to national security concerns. In 2024, after increased scrutiny from US authorities, Kaspersky Lab decided to cease operations in the United States. Now, former customers of the company in the United States can use UltraAV as an alternative, although many of them were not ready for such changes and remain wary due to uncertainty about the new product.
Read more on the topic:
The West will ban Kaspersky Lab products
Kaspersky has demonstrated a beta version of the application store for its mobile OS
Before leaving the US, Kaspersky Lab made a gift to Americans