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Are you still using Kaspersky’s antivirus products despite the White House's ban? Kaspersky has reached a deal to migrate its US customers to a new antivirus provider.
On Thursday, Kaspersky confirmed that it’s migrating its US user base to UltraAV, an antivirus product from Boston-based Pango Group, which has been acquiring VPN providers.
“As a result of the agreement reached between Kaspersky and its trusted partner UltraAV, users of consumer products in the US will continue to receive reliable anti-virus protection under their existing subscription,” the Russian company said. “The replacement solution from UltraAV will also include features like VPN, password manager, and identity theft protection.”
A Reddit user also posted a message from Kaspersky to US customers about the transition. "In the coming days, you will be receiving communications from UltraAV with instructions on how to activate your new account,” the message says. “We're confident that you'll enjoy the enhanced protection and features UltraAV offers.”
(Reddit user Chrisboy265)Pango declined to disclose the financial terms of its deal with Kaspersky, but it's acquiring about one million users, according to Axios. The arrangement means Kaspersky users won’t see their antivirus software suddenly lose support on Sept. 29, as the company originally warned when the Biden administration banned Kaspersky products for alleged national security risks.
The problem is that not much is known about UltraAV, which appears to be a relatively new antivirus product from the UltraVPN brand. Pango has acquired several VPN brands, including Hotspot Shield, Betternet, and OVPN, which have over 20 million monthly users in total. “We are building the world’s leading portfolio of consumer cybersecurity solutions," Pango's site says.
The company was originally part of Aura. But on Tuesday, the company split so Aura could focus on family safety solutions and Pango could prioritize cybersecurity for both consumers and businesses. “The company continuously explores opportunities to expand its portfolio of protections through the acquisition of best-in-class brands,” Pango added in the announcement.