Kaspersky

U.S. sales of Kaspersky antivirus were barred from July 20, 2024, driving its exit from the market and replacement of customers’ software with Pango’s UltraAV.

Who they are

Kaspersky is a Russia-based cybersecurity company whose coverage spans antivirus products, threat research and the political scrutiny attached to its Russian base. It appears both as a source uncovering malware affecting Android, iPhones and widely used software, and as the subject of U.S. and Canadian security restrictions.

The recent arc

Coverage was strongest in 2024Q3, following a sustained 2024Q2–Q3 run centered on the U.S. Commerce Department’s ban of Kaspersky antivirus sales. Reuters reported that the restrictions would halt U.S. sales from July 20 and updates and resales later in September; Kaspersky subsequently said it would close its U.S. business and eliminate U.S.-based roles. The story then shifted from policy to customer migration, as U.S. users found UltraAV installed remotely and Kaspersky confirmed the replacement software was owned by Pango.

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The tension

The core tension is between Kaspersky’s role as a prolific security researcher and the trust problem created by its Russian location. U.S. authorities said the company posed national-security and privacy risks, sanctions targeted 12 senior leaders, and Canada barred Kaspersky from government-issued mobile devices. That scrutiny echoes earlier reporting involving the NSA, including allegations that Russian spies used Kaspersky software to search for U.S. intelligence documents, even as Kaspersky’s researchers reported threats such as Apple’s Triangulation spyware and the Necro malware in Google Play apps.

Why it matters

Kaspersky’s U.S. wind-down shows how national-security policy can reshape a consumer security vendor’s distribution, support obligations and customer software choices, not merely government procurement. If restrictions and replacement arrangements persist, its research findings may remain influential while its access to major markets and the trust attached to its products stay constrained; the continued reporting of discoveries, most recently the Daemon Tools compromise, makes that split role especially consequential.

Related: Russia · NSA · U.S. · Android · The US' restrictions on Kaspersky will stop US sales of its antivirus · Sources: hackers stole NSA data on US offensive and defensive cyber ca