Customer Reactions and Concerns
A wave of discontent has surfaced on social media platforms, with numerous users expressing their surprise and frustration. One Reddit user recounted their experience: “I was using Kaspersky, didn’t realize they’d be shuffling us off to some rando AV in September. Nearly had a heart attack when I started my PC today and found a program I didn’t download.” Another echoed similar sentiments, stating, “Woke up to Kaspersky completely gone from my system with Ultra AV and Ultra VPN freshly installed.” The abruptness of the transition has left many feeling unsettled, as they discovered unfamiliar software installed on their devices without prior notice.
Further complaints emerged on Kaspersky’s support forum, where users voiced their dissatisfaction. One individual remarked, “This morning I turned on my PC. Never had an issue with KAV [Kaspersky Antivirus]. I know the US government cancelled KAV—not happy. Well, this unknown company and its software UltraAV automatically installed on my computer.” Another user expressed concern over the lack of information regarding the new software, stating, “I still required me to log in with my Kaspersky password/account, but no thanks. I have no idea who Pango is, and there is literally no information about their antivirus/credibility.”
The Transition Process
The impetus for this transition arose from an investigation by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which identified Kaspersky’s products as potential security risks. The BIS cited “unacceptable risks to the United States’ national security and the security and safety of its people” as the rationale behind the ban. In early September, Kaspersky announced that it would facilitate the automatic migration of its US customers to UltraAV, with updates to Kaspersky software set to cease by September 29.
According to Sydney Harwood, a spokesperson for Pango, all Kaspersky customers with a valid email address were notified about the transition. “There were also notifications and details of the transition in-app, in your MyKaspersky account pages and on Kaspersky Labs’ web pages,” Harwood explained. However, the effectiveness of these communications has come into question, as many users reported not receiving or noticing the alerts.
Communication Breakdown
The reliance on email as a primary communication method has proven problematic. Emails can easily be overlooked, filtered as spam, or simply forgotten. This raises the question of accountability: Is it Kaspersky’s responsibility for insufficient follow-through on alerts, Pango’s for a lack of seamless transition, or the customers’ for not engaging with the notifications they did receive?
For those who preferred not to transition to UltraAV, Harwood clarified that customers had the option to opt out and could contact customer service to cancel their accounts. “Following the communication from Kaspersky, customers had the ability to cancel their accounts directly with Kaspersky customer service and therefore, would not be switched over,” she stated.
Despite this option, many customers feel that the transition process could have been managed more effectively. Avi Fleischer, a Kaspersky user, expressed his frustration, saying, “Basically, on my end, it felt like I was left in the dark until it was too late.”
