Tag: app-subdomain-redirection:kaspersky

Kaspersky, the well-known Russian cybersecurity company, has decided to close its office in the United Kingdom and lay off its entire local team, according to TechCrunch. This move comes just three months after the company began ceasing its operations in the United States, laying off dozens of workers.

Francesco Tius, spokesperson for Kaspersky, stated that the company “will begin a liquidation of the UK office operations,” opting to redirect its focus towards local business partners. With this strategy, the company aims to “capitalize on business opportunities” and improve efficiency in the British market. Additionally, he assured that both the company’s customers and partners will continue to receive support from Kaspersky’s European team.

As in the United States, this decision affects “fewer than 50 people” working in the London office, Tius added. This closure adds to a series of recent difficulties for the company, which has been criticized for its alleged ties to the Russian government, accusations that Kaspersky has repeatedly denied.

After the sale of its software was banned in the United States, Kaspersky partnered with the startup UltraAV, which led some customers to see how their antivirus was automatically uninstalled without prior user consent, and was replaced by UltraAV’s.

No, a tu PC no le pasa nada (en principio). En los últimos días, los clientes de Kaspersky en los Estados Unidos han descubierto que el famoso software de ciberseguridad instalado en sus dispositivos ha sido reemplazado automáticamente por UltraAV, un nuevo antivirus, según expusieron en varias publicaciones de Reddit y otras redes sociales.

Aunque algunos clientes informaron haber recibido correos electrónicos anunciando la transición, la mayoría se vio completamente sorprendida. Este cambio se produce tras la decisión del gobierno de los Estados Unidos de prohibir la venta del software de Kaspersky en todo el país, una medida anunciada en junio. Las ventas finalizaron el 20 de julio y, aunque la empresa sigue ofreciendo actualizaciones de seguridad limitadas, estas concluirán el 29 de septiembre.

El gran problema de esta situación reside en que a muchos de estos usuarios no se les habría informado previamente del cambio. “Me desperté con Kaspersky completamente fuera de mi sistema y UltraAV y UltraVPN recién instalados (no por mí, solo automáticamente mientras dormía)”, escribió un usuario en Reddit, reflejando el desconcierto generalizado entre los afectados.

Otros clientes compartieron experiencias similares. Un revendedor de productos de Kaspersky, que dejó de comercializarlos debido a la reciente prohibición de ventas en el país, declaró a TechCrunch estar “molesto” con la decisión de sustituir el software sin aviso previo. Asimismo, un exalto cargo de ciberseguridad del gobierno estadounidense calificó la situación como un “enorme riesgo”, aludiendo al “control total” que Kaspersky tiene sobre los dispositivos de sus usuarios.

A principios de septiembre, se reveló que Kaspersky cedió sus clientes a la compañía estadounidense Pango, propietaria de UltraAV. Este nuevo software antivirus prometía a los usuarios de Kaspersky continuar su suscripción sin necesidad de tomar ninguna medida extra. Kaspersky confirmó la migración en un foro oficial, asegurando que la transición se realizó el 19 de septiembre, y que garantizaba una protección continua para los usuarios estadounidenses.

Kaspersky will close its division in the United States and lay off its staff, according to Zero Day. The end of its operations in the country will begin on July 20th, including employee layoffs. In June, the United States announced that it would ban the sale of Kaspersky products, a measure that has already been implemented. Initially, Kaspersky planned to fight against this ban in court, but it has not been confirmed if they still intend to do so after the latest layoff announcements.

“The company has carefully examined and evaluated the impact of legal requirements in the United States and has made this sad and difficult decision, as business opportunities in the country are no longer viable,” Kaspersky said in a statement obtained by Zero Day. Less than 50 employees will be affected by this liquidation and some have already received their compensations, although no details have been shared.

As an antimalware tool, Kaspersky software holds a prominent position on Windows computers. However, the United States government fears that there may be links between Kaspersky and the Russian government, which could facilitate data theft for the benefit of Russia, heavily sanctioned for its war in Ukraine.

The announced ban last month not only prohibits the sale of Kaspersky products, but also the download of updates, resale, and licenses. In addition, it will affect white-label products that integrate Kaspersky under different names, so those companies will have to find alternative cybersecurity solutions to maintain the security of their systems.

The Joe Biden administration has announced a nationwide ban on software manufactured by the Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab, citing national security concerns. The new measures announced by Gina Raimondo, Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce, are a result of the new authorities granted to the Department by executive order issued by Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

“We announce that, after an extremely thorough investigation, we are taking measures that will prohibit Kaspersky Lab and all its subsidiaries, affiliates, and parent company from supplying cybersecurity and antivirus software anywhere in the United States,” stated Raimondo. “We will also add three Kaspersky entities to the Entity List, which means they will not be able to sell or update software in the United States,” she added.

US authorities have been warning for years that the Russian government could force Kaspersky Lab to hand over data or use their antivirus software to hack or monitor Americans, accusations that Kaspersky Lab vehemently denies. In April, it was revealed that the Biden administration was preparing an executive order to prevent the use of Kaspersky software.

Raimondo told reporters, “Although we have been exploring all available options, ultimately we have decided that, given the Russian government’s cyber offensive capabilities and its ability to influence Kaspersky’s operations, we must take the important step of a total ban, if we want to protect Americans and their personal data”.

An official from the Department of Commerce also emphasized that, although no specific cases of software exploitation by the Russian government were identified, it’s considered a threat that goes beyond theory. These new permissions enable the department to take proactive action, even without concrete examples.