Some Kaspersky Customers Receive Surprise Forced-Update To New Antivirus Software 18
Customers of Kaspersky antivirus in the United States found out in the last few days that their cybersecurity software was automatically replaced with a new one called UltraAV, according to several customers. And while Kaspersky said earlier this month that its U.S. customers would be transitioned to UltraAV, many of its customers said they had no idea this was going to happen and that it would automatically be forced upon them. From a report: "Woke up to Kasperky [sic] completely gone from my system with Ultra AV and Ultra VPN freshly installed (not by me, just automatically while I slept)," a user on Reddit wrote. Others reported having the same experience in the same Reddit thread, as well as in other threads. A reseller, who until recently sold Kaspersky products prior to the recent sales ban, told TechCrunch that he was left "annoyed" by the move to automatically remove Kaspersky software and replace it with an entirely different antivirus. A former senior U.S. government cybersecurity official said that this was an example of the "huge risk" posed by the access granted by Kaspersky software. It's worth noting that, on the other hand, other customers did report receiving an email from Kaspersky about the transition to UltraAV.
Who owns my computer? (Score:4, Insightful)
Woke up to Kasperky [sic] completely gone from my system with Ultra AV and Ultra VPN freshly installed (not by me, just automatically while I slept)
More proof that you don't own your computer or any software on it.
Re: (Score:3)
You've never owned the software on it. You've only ever licensed the software. Granted with F/OSS it's a bit muddier into what ownership actually is, but for the most part you've licensed the software.
And Kaspersky is not software, it's a subscription. You bought a subscription for an anti-virus service. How it's provided has changed in that they gave all the leftover subscription to a new provider who removed the old software and installed t
Re: Who owns my computer? (Score:1, Offtopic)
this is just one instance of what i call "the fucktard problem," wherein an ignorant person (the eponymous fucktard) is so ignorant about an entire field of knowledge and practice that they are shocked by what is common knowledge to anyone who is not ignorant.
this is not so bad on its own, but the fucktard can often be recruited to join any moronic or counter-factual crusade that a puppeteer wishes him to.
tl;dr: social media has turned everyone into concern trolls of varying levels of willfulness.
Re: (Score:2)
I understand what you are saying, but you are only partly right. We live in a complex technological world, and no person, no matter how educated or knowledgeable, can understand everything that interacts, overtly or subliminally, with his daily life.
Many of the so called "fucktards" you pejoratively dismiss are normal people who simply do not know about the things that interest the Slashdot crowd. Computers have become a de facto indispensible tool of modern society, so everyone has one, nearly everyone c
Re: (Score:2)
That's a fake, made-up concept of "ownership". No other species on Earth has that fantasy about ownership, not even the ones who understand "this is my territory" or "this is my bone".
Re: (Score:3)
Re: Who owns my computer? (Score:2)
In Soviet Russia... (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
...software runs YOU!
Hey, it's the US government who said that you can't use Kaspersky anymore.
Could have been worse (Score:4, Insightful)
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Agreed, it's the least bad they could do.
They really got the hose for revealing the Apple CPU's backdoor in the GPU module earlier this year.
That must've been the spooks' crown jewel.
Julian got the hose for Vault 7 - analogous situation.
... a surprise for those who don't read emails. (Score:3)
Free sw updates ... (Score:1)
This is not directed against Kaspersky, instead if a larger conflict broke out, russian FSB would knock on Kasperskys doors not entirely dissimilar to US knocking on doors and freezing $ deposits from Russia. The banks could say "no" to this, as much as kaspe
Re: (Score:2)
This is entirely Uncle Sam's doing. Kaspersky is forced out through laws. Providing a maintained alternative upon exit is generous, imho.
Unless maybe you mean USA is the "enemy" here.
Do they have ... (Score:2)