In June 2024, the Biden administration announced that download, update, license and resale of Kaspersky software would be banned from July 20, 2024.
The rationale was that because Kaspersky is headquartered in Moscow, the Russian government could force the company to provide access to its systems and interfere with all the computers it is installed on.
Kaspersky has often refused to have any connection to the Russian government, but the United States has decided that it is simply not good enough.
What does that mean to me?
Kaspersky has been a household name for antivirus in the US with a market share of about 35%.
After Ban Kaspersky, his customers offset the Pango group, who immediately installed Ultraav as a replacement service that created quite a voting.
If you used Kaspersky Antivirus, you will have been asked if you would switch to ultraav. However, none of the most important antiviruses have released scores for ultraav, and customer feedback and online postings suggest that the software is less than ideal.
Those who chose to waive the UltraAV update will have been left to continue using Kaspersky – and if it includes you – your device is at a serious risk.
Am I in danger if I continue to use Kaspersky?
Yes. The ban banned new updates to the Kaspersky software, which means the software will not be able to protect against new malware or threats that have arisen since the ban in June 2024.
Antivirus providers release frequent updates to their software to keep your device protected from existing malware as well as ‘0-day’ utilization or fresh vulnerabilities that are actively utilized. Without these updates, devices can succumb to infection and attack that other devices would be protected against.
As an added point of concern, if you used Kaspersky on a Windows device, Windows Defender Antivirus is likely to be put into passive mode, preventing it from offering its full protection level. If you used Kaspersky or still are, I would highly recommend checking to see if your Windows defender antivirus is still in passive and switch it to active.
What should I do?
First things first, check to see if your device manufacturers default antivirus are updated and turned on.
Now that you have a certain level of protection, think about if you are considering standard protection enough.
For many devices, the default antivirus program will offer a fairly decent level of protection against malware, but lacks a lot of the other security tools that have almost become a necessity in the digital world.
Look at my extensive guide to the best antivirus and look through the features you think would be best for you.
Many services include a VPN to help encrypt your internet traffic on are heads from your device to its destination, preventing villains from capturing it during transit.
Others want a parental control app to help you block adult content from being seen on your children’s devices, as well as setting screen time limits to help them focus on their homework or duties.
Password administrators are also a very practical tool to help keep your online accounts secure. If you are not using an authenticator app, you are only as secure as your password. Antivirus alone does not prevent a hacker from guessing your username and password.
Should I bother with antivirus in 2025?
As a security expert, my answer is 100% yes. I have seen first -hand how fast new threats and vulnerabilities can emerge, and the damage they can not only have on units but also livelihood.
If an attacker is able to access your computer files, they can potentially steal sensitive files and data that can help them commit identity theft or credit fraud. Even if you do not want to spray out on a premium service, you can always turn to the best free antivirus to give a good level of protection to all your devices.
