About one million U.S. Kaspersky antivirus customers were moved to Pango Group’s UltraAV in September 2024 after U.S. restrictions forced Kaspersky to leave the market. Pango described the change as a way to maintain protection, but some customers said the software switched automatically and without clear consent. UltraAV is a Pango product, not a Kaspersky subsidiary; the transition did not establish that the two products offer equivalent protection.
Why Kaspersky customers were transferred
The move followed a U.S. government action, not a routine rebrand. On June 20, 2024, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security issued a final determination restricting Kaspersky Lab, Inc. and related entities from directly or indirectly providing certain cybersecurity products and services in the United States. The government cited national-security concerns tied to Kaspersky’s Russian ownership and operating context. Bureau of Industry and Security’s determination announcement
Reporting identified July 20, 2024, as the start of the prohibition on new Kaspersky sales in the U.S. The restriction on providing relevant antivirus updates was scheduled to take effect September 29, 2024. Axios’s report on the agreement and timeline Pango Group’s announcements
What happened to customers and when
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 20, 2024 | The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security announced its final determination restricting Kaspersky-related cybersecurity products and services in the United States. |
| July 20, 2024 | Reporting identified this as the beginning of the prohibition on new Kaspersky sales in the U.S. |
| September 5, 2024 | Pango announced a commercial agreement with Kaspersky to offer its UltraAV antivirus product to U.S. customers. |
| September 19, 2024 | Some U.S. customers received a software update that facilitated the transition; some found Kaspersky replaced with UltraAV. |
| September 29, 2024 | The restriction on Kaspersky’s ability to provide relevant antivirus updates was scheduled to take effect. |
Axios reported that roughly one million U.S. antivirus users were involved, attributing that estimate to Pango president and COO Neill Feather. The figure describes the scale of the customer transition, not an independently audited count. Axios
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Who owns UltraAV—and how it is connected to Kaspersky
UltraAV is a Pango Group product. Pango reached a commercial agreement with Kaspersky concerning U.S. customers, but UltraAV’s support center says the companies “are not legally related entities.” It characterizes the connection as a strategic partnership intended to continue service for U.S. Kaspersky customers. That makes UltraAV neither a Kaspersky subsidiary nor simply Kaspersky under a new U.S. brand. UltraAV Support Center’s explanation
Why some users were surprised by the switch
TechCrunch reported that some customers found UltraAV installed through a software update that replaced Kaspersky. Kaspersky and Pango presented the migration as a way to avoid a gap in protection, while affected users objected that a different security product appeared without clear, affirmative consent. Pango said its effort was intended to minimize the risk that users would be left unprotected after Kaspersky’s mandatory market exit. TechCrunch’s reporting on the transition Pango Group’s September 24 statement
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The reporting supports a claim about some U.S. customers and an automatic Windows transition; it does not establish that every customer, device, or operating system experienced the same installation process.
What Pango said customers would get
Pango said former Kaspersky customers would receive comparable protection through UltraAV at the same pricing. It also promoted transaction monitoring, real-time fraud alerts, lost-wallet protection, and $1 million in identity-theft insurance. These are Pango’s stated product and coverage claims. The cited announcements do not independently verify antivirus equivalence or the efficacy of those services, and the insurance figure alone does not establish the policy’s exclusions, eligibility, or claim terms. Pango Group’s announcements
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What former customers should check now
The 2024 transition announcement does not settle every customer’s current account or billing situation. Check your own account and the provider’s current terms before deciding whether to keep the service or switch.
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- Subscription and renewal: Confirm the current plan, next renewal date, recurring amount, cancellation method, and any refund eligibility in your account or billing records.
- Payment information: The cited announcements do not establish whether or how an individual customer’s payment details were transferred. Ask the billing provider directly if you need to know what information it holds.
- Privacy and ownership: Review UltraAV’s current privacy policy and terms to understand what data it collects, how it is used, and which entity is responsible.
- Devices and removal: Check current operating-system support and the provider’s uninstall instructions. If you remove UltraAV, make sure another trusted security product is active rather than leaving the device unprotected.
- Choosing another antivirus: Compare current independent test results, platform coverage, privacy terms, renewal and cancellation terms, and any migration or consent requirements. The available evidence here does not establish a definitive independent safety or performance verdict for UltraAV.
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