Kaspersky is a Russian cyber security and anti-virus software company that develops internet security software including anti-virus systems.
The company is headquartered in Moscow, Russia, and was founded in 1997. It is currently operated by a holding company in England.
The company has over 400 million users, and in 2020 the company had annual sales of over $700 million.
Kaspersky is the top cybersecurity vendor in Europe, and the fourth-largest antivirus software company in the world.
But Kaspersky has not been without its share of controversy.
For years, the U.S. has suspected (no kidding) Kaspersky of working with Russia’s intelligence service.
A few years ago, a journalist revealed a major security issue with Kaspersky’s software.
Ronald E. is a reporter who works for a German computer magazine.
When he began testing Kaspersky antivirus software he discovered that Kaspersky’s software was injecting code into web pages.
“It looks as if Kaspersky was looking for a way to interact with websites without requiring the installation of a browser extension on the user’s system,” Ronald said.
Yet, for the Kaspersky software to do this it would have to analyze the user’s internet habits.
So, Kaspersky was committing a major security and privacy violation of their customers.
They had all the information about what websites their customers were visiting, including secure networks.
Ronald said this was the type of behavior he had seen from malware and hackers.
It’s something usually done to manipulate banking websites and steal money by transferring funds.
After Kaspersky was notified of the security issue the company released a patch to fix it.
Yet, the fact that a security software company “let” this happen in the first place is concerning.
Recently, the U.S. commerce secretary announced a ban on the sale and use of Kaspersky software.
The decision was made based on the company’s ties to the Russian government.
In addition, the Secretary said the software posed a risk to U.S. infrastructure and personal data.
Of course, this type of ban will take time to implement.
But the U.S. government says the company cannot enter into new agreements with U.S. companies.
Kaspersky will also be prevented from updating its software within the U.S.
The American government will isolate Kaspersky from the U.S. market.
The U.S. commerce secretary said, “Russia has shown it has the capacity and intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans.”
Kaspersky said they plan to pursue all legal options.
However, to be safe, if you use Kaspersky software, look for a new antivirus solution.
Here are a few options worth considering:
Norton:
Norton is one of the most well-known antivirus software providers, and Norton 360 is available for Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS.
The software has a lot of features such as an app, parental controls, and good customer support.
There isn’t a free version of the software, but you can get a 30-day trial to see if it works for you.
The annual price is around $50 depending on the version you choose.
Bitdefender:
Bitdefender is an antivirus software company based in Romania.
They offer services for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and the company is the best choice for customization.
Depending on the plan you choose the company offers a password manager, VPN, and webcam protection.
During independent testing, Bitdefender scored highly for protection.
So, if you are looking for affordable all-around antivirus software this is a good choice.
Bitdefender starts around $60 a year depending on the options you choose.
Trend Micro:
You may not have heard of the company, but Trend Micro has been providing antivirus software for over 35 years.
The software has a few extra features such as social media protection.
This warns the user about dangerous links posted on social media. So, if you use social media a lot this would be a good option.
The antivirus software works with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Chromebooks.
Trend Micro antivirus software starts around $40 a year so it’s the most cost-effective out of the three.
Regardless of which one of the above you choose, if you are currently using Kaspersky you need to get a replacement antivirus software as soon as possible.
Your antivirus software, VPN, etc. are necessary components to your online safety and protection plan.
