US Company Sweeps Up Kaspersky’s Customers After Government Ban

As the Russian company shuts down its US operations, an American rival steps up to save over one million customers.

An American company has acquired all of the US customers of Kaspersky Lab as the Russian venture winds down its operations.

Pango Group has bought a reported one million users, saving them from owning antivirus software that they wouldn’t be able to update.

The move follows the government banning of Kaspersky trading in the US.

Kaspersky Deal Sealed Ahead of Ban Deadline

Kaspersky Group customers, who have been notified of the deal, will now be transitioned to Pango Group’s Ultra AV antivirus software.

The Russian venture has been winding down its operations since the US Government announced its decision to ban the use of Kaspersky’s software on June 20th. The move came after years of concerns about the potential for Russian state interference using the antivirus company.

 

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Specifically, said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the “capability and intent to exploit Russian companies, like Kaspersky Lab, to collect and weaponize sensitive U.S. information.” This could pose a threat to national security, she stated.

Kaspersky responded that the decision was based on “the present geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns, rather than on a comprehensive evaluation of the integrity of Kaspersky’s products and services,” reported Reuters.

But other countries have also voiced concerns, including Germany, where a government office advised companies to ditch Kaspersky antivirus software.

Kaspersky’s Quiet Exit from the US

Nearly a month after the ban was announced, Kaspersky Labs surprised the tech world by announcing it would wind down its US operations without a fight just days before the ban of its software came into effect on July 20th. Around 50 people were expected to lose their jobs.

Customers were given 100 days to find an alternative to their current antivirus set up but the deal with Pango Group means that they don’t need to search anymore.

As a ‘farewell gift’, Kaspersky also offered existing users free software for a six month period.

Smooth Transition Promised for Kaspersky’s Customers

Neill Feather, president and chief operating officer at Pango, is promising a smooth transition over to Ultra AV. He told Axios: “The good news is that there’s really no action required by customers. Those things that they do need to be aware of and need to know, we’ll lay out for them in a series of email communications and then we also have our customer support team ramped up and ready to assist.”

Both companies are keeping quiet though about the financial details of the deal.

Once the transition is complete, Kaspersky US customers will no longer be the Russian company’s IP. It comes as the Biden administration scrutinizes other software companies from “foreign adversary” nations like Russia and China as potential threats. As the war in Ukraine continues, other Russian firms may soon be in the US Government’s crosshairs.

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Written by:
Katie has been a journalist for more than twenty years. At 18 years old, she started her career at the world's oldest photography magazine before joining the launch team at Wired magazine as News Editor. After a spell in Hong Kong writing for Cathay Pacific's inflight magazine about the Asian startup scene, she is now back in the UK. Writing from Sussex, she covers everything from nature restoration to data science for a beautiful array of magazines and websites.
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