The Kaspersky ban by the U.S. Department of Commerce followed their determination that the company’s anti-virus software poses undue risk to U.S. national security.
The Kaspersky ban is indicative of the fraught state of Internet cybersecurity today, the risk of potential supply chain attacks and is a cautionary tale regarding any U.S. reliance on foreign owned software.
Why The Kaspersky Ban Matters
Kaspersky was banned by the U.S. Department of Commerce due to national security concerns.
The Kaspersky ban did not happen in a vacuum… Indeed, it followed a series of events, starting in 2017 when the U.S. government banned all Kaspersky products from use by federal agencies. Kaspersky was also added to the FCC’s list of communications equipment posing national security threats.
On June 20, 2024, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS) announced that Kaspersky Lab, Inc., its U.S. subsidiary, and its affiliates were prohibited from directly or indirectly providing anti-virus software and cybersecurity products or services in the United States or to U.S. persons.
This action follows previous measures taken by the U.S. government, including incrementally broader bans on Kaspersky products in 2017, 2018 and 2022 prohibiting federal agencies from using Kaspersky products and services and the inclusion of Kaspersky in the FCC’s list of communications equipment posing national security threats.
The key reasons for the ban include:
- Russian Government Influence: The U.S. government determined that Kaspersky poses an undue or unacceptable risk to national security due to the Russian government’s ability to influence Kaspersky’s operations.
- Data Access Concerns: There were fears that Kaspersky could be compelled by the Russian government to provide access to sensitive U.S. customer information through its administrative privileges in cybersecurity and anti-virus software.
- Potential for malicious activity: The U.S. government believed Kaspersky had the capability to install malicious software or withhold critical updates, potentially leaving U.S. persons and critical infrastructure vulnerable to malware and exploitation.
- Integration risks: Kaspersky’s integration with other products increased the likelihood that its software could be inadvertently introduced into devices or networks containing highly sensitive U.S. data.
- Ongoing cyber threats: The decision was made in light of Russia’s continued offensive cyber capabilities and the potential for the Russian government to exploit Kaspersky’s products for data collection or other malicious purposes.
Uninstall UltraAV?
As if you needed to be reminded of the dangers of ceding control over your entire computer to a 3rd party software company, starting around September 19th, Kaspersky deleted itself and a replacement antivirus software called “UltraAV” was rolled out to computers of Kaspersky subscribers.
While notifications were pushed out, and the transition was covered by new outlets, this apparently surprised a few customers who missed the alerts Kaspersky was sending out… Some did not recognize the UltraAV brand and were concerned that their computers had somehow been compromised.
A spokesperson for Pango Group, the U.S.-based company that owns UltraAV, confirmed to Bleeping Computer that multiple types of notifications were sent to customers from Kaspersky regarding the pushed change.
UltraAV has a page dedicated to the transition here.
Companies Banned By U.S. Government
The following is a list of communications equipment and services (Covered List) that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons:
- Huawei Technologies Company
- ZTE Corporation
- Hytera Communications Corporation
- Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company
- Dahau Technology Company
- AO Kaspersky Lab
- China Mobile International USA Inc.
- China Telecom (Americas) Corp.
- Pacific Networks Corp
- ComNet (USA) LLC
- China Unicom (Americas) Operations Limited
- Kaspersky Lab, Inc.
The inclusion of producers or providers of equipment or services identified on this list should be read to include the subsidiaries and affiliates of such entities.
Such equipment or services possess certain capabilities as enumerated in section 2(a) of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, Pub. L. No. 116-124, 133 Stat. 158 (2020) (codified as amended at 47 U.S.C. §§ 1601–1609):
U.S. Based Kaspersky Antivirus Alternatives
While foreign-owned businesses may not pose a threat simply because they are foreign owned or controlled, American-based, owned and operated companies should be required to abide by U.S. laws and necessary consumer protections.
The following – in alphabetical order – are some established/reputable antivirus companies based in the United States:
- Malwarebytes: Malwarebytes is a U.S.-based antivirus, malware removal and cybersecurity company. The company was founded in 2004 by Marcin Kleczynski who moved to the U.S. from Poland with his parents at the age of 3 and grew up in Illinois… The company specializes in malware detection and removal and other cybersecurity tools and is based out of Santa Clara, California.
- McAfee Corp: Founded by John McAfee in 1987, McAfee is a well-known antivirus provider headquartered in San Jose, California. It has undergone various ownership changes but remains an American company. It was acquired by Advent International, a private equity firm, and may have other 3rd party investors including Permira Advisors and Crosspoint Capital.
- NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec): Norton Antivirus is famous for its Norton antivirus products. The company is based in Tempe, Arizona and was founded by Peter Norton in 1990. Norton has been involved in many mergers and acquisitions, including Symantec, LifeLock, Avast (note: this affiliate is based in the Czech Republic), Avira, AVG and CCleaner. The company is owned by “Gen” a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq.
- PC Matic: PC Matic offers antivirus software that emphasizes performance optimization alongside security features. The company was founded by Rob Cheng, an American born in New York City and raised in Maryland. This company is based in Sioux City, Iowa.
- VIPRE Security Group: VIPRE is a privately held cybersecurity company based in New York. The company offers antivirus software, virtual private network (VPN), email scanning and other cybersecurity tools. The company is owned by Ziff Davis/ZD Net.
Of course, nothing is certain about intent or trustworthiness of any company, per se… After all, things change, founders retire or move on, companies get acquired by private equity companies or merge and change their terms of service.
At the end of the day, the responsibility falls on us to make educated decisions.
You may decide that – with the risks of a supply chain attack or foreign actor taking control of your computer – a 3rd party antivirus software provider is just not worth the trouble.
Summary
The Kaspersky ban is a cautionary tale of our current reliance on third party hardware and software tools that may be manufactured or owned by foreign entities.
Kaspersky had a loyal following among many antivirus users… However, with the ban, you may want to choose a U.S. based antivirus provider, such as the ones listed above. Or, if you use a PC or Mac, you may choose to reduce your attack surface and simply rely on Apple’s or Microsoft’s built-in antivirus solutions.1
However, if you are someone who requires additional protection due to handling sensitive data, or if you spend time on websites you’re concerned about, you may prefer a more comprehensive security suite, and opt for a reputable third-party solution.
That said, with Kaspersky, a formerly respected antivirus company, being banned outright in the U.S., it’s hard to know who to trust these days.
Footnotes
- Indeed, many cybersecurity experts who rely on Apple products, believe the best antivirus for Mac is made by Apple itself. The built-in security features of macOS, including XProtect and Gatekeeper, create a robust security environment.
