Kaspersky beginning transition of U.S. users to UltraAV

[mlnevese]

Ultravpn states they have a strict zero knowledge policy sureeee lol doubt it

Depends how you define 0 knowledge. Either they have 0 knowledge about what YOU are doing or they have 0 knowledge of what THEY are doing...

 

[bazang]

The problem with UltraAV is it's an unknown company and we don't know how good it is. And I would like to know details of cooperation between UltraAV and Kaspersky because none of this makes sense.

It is a business deal between Eugene Kaspersky and the venture capitalists and investors at The Pango Group (A U.S. company, but it can have foreign personnel or investors).

The Pango Group aggressively pursues opportunities to generate profit. The current circumstances with the Kaspersky security software ban are a profitable opportunity. Highly profitable for The Pango Group and Eugene Kaspersky.

It makes sense. It is called capitalism and good business sense. There is no conspiracy to attack U.S. citizen systems via a Kaspersky backdoored UltraAV.

 

[Zorro]

This is good trolling from Kaspersky. Or there are some motives that we don't know about. : не уверен:

 

[mlnevese]

UltraAV software no notification, Automatically Installs, and Can't Remove it!!

This morning I turned on my PC. Never had an issue with KAV. I know US gov't cancelled KAV- not happy. Well this unknown company and its software UltraAv automatically installed on my computer. I WAS NEVER ASKED NOR NOTIFIED THAT THIS INSTALLATION WOULD HAPPEN. Also, I CANNOT UNINSTALL IT! I used...

forum.kaspersky.com

 

[brambedkar59]

UltraAV software no notification, Automatically Installs, and Can't Remove it!!

This morning I turned on my PC. Never had an issue with KAV. I know US gov't cancelled KAV- not happy. Well this unknown company and its software UltraAv automatically installed on my computer. I WAS NEVER ASKED NOR NOTIFIED THAT THIS INSTALLATION WOULD HAPPEN. Also, I CANNOT UNINSTALL IT! I used...

forum.kaspersky.com

What a mess

 

[cofer123]

UltraAV software no notification, Automatically Installs, and Can't Remove it!!

This morning I turned on my PC. Never had an issue with KAV. I know US gov't cancelled KAV- not happy. Well this unknown company and its software UltraAv automatically installed on my computer. I WAS NEVER ASKED NOR NOTIFIED THAT THIS INSTALLATION WOULD HAPPEN. Also, I CANNOT UNINSTALL IT! I used...

forum.kaspersky.com

What a mess

It sure is.

I have seen reports on Reddit of people outside the US having the same happen to them: one from Asia (didn't say which country), one from the UK, and another from Brazil, so far. There is also a ton of reports on Reddit of people from the US having their computers "updated" to UltraAV without consent, some citing deleted applications caused by UltraAV PUA detections without notice, and it seems to be a pain to uninstall it.

Regardless, I have removed KPlus from my devices today (all 9 of them) and moved back to ESET given how this whole thing was handled by Kaspersky. The fact they have stealthy-installed another piece of software for everyone without consent breaks any trust I had left on them. There really is nothing stopping them from doing the same to me with any software they want to install.

What they did I expected from malware, not a security software.

 

[zidong]

What a surprise. Shady companies do shady things and some people continue to defend them.
Top thread in r/antivirus today

Kaspersky deleted itself and installed UltraAV​

 

[Jonny Quest]

My thought while reading the Kaspersky thread, is I would be doing a total Windows reset. Then go into My Kaspersky account and making sure auto renewal and whatever else was disabled.

 

[harlan4096]

I still can't understand why users and people here are amazed of UltraAV auto-update these days... Kaspersky already warned some weeks ago that would happen If you didn't want it, then you should have worried about uninstalling your K. product from your system first, before the announced date, to avoid UAV auto-install.

K. was forced to do such a mess, They still will lose much money leaving US, even having sold their users to Pango, which is a risky operation since I doubt many migrated users will stay with that "pseudo" security product.

Also, those users auto-updated to UAV outside US -> probably because They are using a US license.

 

[TuxTalk]

I still can't understand why users and people here are amazed of UltraAV auto-update these days... Kaspersky already warned some weeks ago that would happen If you didn't want it, then you should have worried about uninstalling your K. product from your system first, before the announced date, to avoid UAV auto-install.

K. was forced to do such a mess, They still will lose much money leaving US, even having sold their users to Pango, which is a risky operation since I doubt many migrated users will stay with that "pseudo" security product.

Also, those users auto-updated to UAV outside US -> probably because They are using a US license.

Kaspersky should never done this Ultra AV automatically install thing in the first place. They should just automatically uninstall their product and send customers a email with a Download link for Ultra AV, so give people a choice if they want this AV or not.
Many old or not technical people had no clue what is happening. This proves my initial thoughts about Kaspersky again.

 

[harlan4096]

This does not prove anything, just geopolitical matters... This auto-update probably was one of the demands of Pango.

Many old or not technical people had no clue what is happening.

I can agree, that this was not the best way, but still for those not technical, even only sending that email and auto-uninstall would be traumatic, also for many users, that I'm sure that would claim why was auto-removed. Still a warning and email was sent weeks ago, probably many ignored it, as You can read in K. community.

No matter which way K. would have chosen, many users would still have complained.

 

[Berny]

The deplorable consequence in this Kaspersky US ban saga is that cybercriminals are freeing in their hands now ...

 

[Moonhorse]

My finnish friend also got converted to ultra av, but maybe he was using us license

 

[Jonny Quest]

I still can't understand why users and people here are amazed of UltraAV auto-update these days... Kaspersky already warned some weeks ago that would happen If you didn't want it, then you should have worried about uninstalling your K. product from your system first, before the announced date, to avoid UAV auto-install.

Maybe some people just didn't understand how it all was going to work? And in the Kaspersky thread of how for a few, Ultra kept on re-installing itself, is when I would have done a Windows reset. (Especially for an AV no ones heard about, no reviews here or on YouTube, and yet in the Comparison on UltraAV's site, shows it being just as good, maybe even better feature wise?)

Kaspersky should never done this Ultra AV automatically install thing in the first place. They should just automatically uninstall their product and send customers a email with a Download link for Ultra AV, so give people a choice if they want this AV or not.
Many old or not technical people had no clue what is happening. This proves my initial thoughts about Kaspersky again.

This

This does not prove anything, just geopolitical matters... This auto-update probably was one of the demands of Pango.

I can agree, that this was not the best way, but still for those not technical, even only sending that email and auto-uninstall would be traumatic, also for many users, that I'm sure that would claim why was auto-removed. Still a warning and email was sent weeks ago, probably many ignored it, as You can read in K. community.

No matter which way K. would have chosen, many users would still have complained.

As far as what Pango may have required (demanded), shame on them for trying to get their name out there like that, and of trying to create a possible future auto-renewal revenue stream that way?
And I agree, not matter who Kaspersky would have chosen to work with in transitioning people over to a new AV, would have still been met with hand wringing and complaining. To have done nothing but trying to refund people who may have bought license's from how many different vendors, would have been a nightmare, if not impossible. Kaspersky was put in a Kobayashi Maru type of situation by a paranoid US government ban, they were going to have a hard time "winning" in this transition.

Cheers, from someone who over the years used and appreciated the Kaspersky line of products, and the wonderful support provided on the forum, as well as the helpful articles. It's a shame, because I do believe Kaspersky cared.


edit:sp

 

[Marko :)]

It sure is.

I have seen reports on Reddit of people outside the US having the same happen to them: one from Asia (didn't say which country), one from the UK, and another from Brazil, so far. There is also a ton of reports on Reddit of people from the US having their computers "updated" to UltraAV without consent, some citing deleted applications caused by UltraAV PUA detections without notice, and it seems to be a pain to uninstall it.

Regardless, I have removed KPlus from my devices today (all 9 of them) and moved back to ESET given how this whole thing was handled by Kaspersky. The fact they have stealthy-installed another piece of software for everyone without consent breaks any trust I had left on them. There really is nothing stopping them from doing the same to me with any software they want to install.

What they did I expected from malware, not a security software.

If I remember correctly, Kaspersky had various version of installers on their website. You had different for the US, EU, Russia, India etc. These people who aren't located in the US, but their software automatically uninstalled and installed UltraAV were probably using the US version of the product instead of the one intended for their region.

What a surprise. Shady companies do shady things and some people continue to defend them.
Top thread in r/antivirus today

Kaspersky deleted itself and installed UltraAV​

This is what I find the most annoying. People will stand behind a company like it's their own and like the company cares about them, but the reality is company couldn't care less about you. It only cares about money. It's a company after all, not a government or a person.

The deplorable consequence in this Kaspersky US ban saga is that cybercriminals are freeing in their hands now ...

I still think Kaspersky made partnership with unknown company on purpose, so their ex customers would be more vulnerable and if they get infected, say "US government is responsible for this mess". Russia and russian companies often use reverse psychology, this wouldn't be the first time.

 

[Captain Awesome]

I still can't understand why users and people here are amazed of UltraAV auto-update these days... Kaspersky already warned some weeks ago that would happen If you didn't want it, then you should have worried about uninstalling your K. product from your system first, before the announced date, to avoid UAV auto-install.

K. was forced to do such a mess, They still will lose much money leaving US, even having sold their users to Pango, which is a risky operation since I doubt many migrated users will stay with that "pseudo" security product.

Also, those users auto-updated to UAV outside US -> probably because They are using a US license.

Kaspersky has very big market in India.. we will happily use it.

 

[lokamoka820]

What to Do If UltraAV Appeared on Your PC​

If UltraAV has appeared on your device without warning, there's no need to panic. UltraAV is a legitimate antivirus software and will do its best to keep your computer safe from viruses. If you like, you can give UltraAV a try and see if it's to your liking.

If "UltraAV" Has Randomly Appeared on Your PC, Here's Why

UltraAV has been popping up on people's PCs, but there's no need to panic.

www.makeuseof.com

 

[Shadowra]

I deployed Kaspersky on a VM with an American license and American VPN.
I have no trace of Ultra AV yet...

 

[mlnevese]

I deployed Kaspersky on a VM with an American license and American VPN.
I have no trace of Ultra AV yet...
View attachment 285561

Have you considered testing UltraAV, many people out there curious about that one.

 

[oldschool]

Have you considered testing UltraAV, many people out there curious about that one.