Kaspersky is withdrawing from the US market following a ban on the sale of its software, but as a farewell gift, the company is offering free security products and safety tips to its customers.
The Russian firm was added to the US Entity List, which comprises “foreign individuals, companies, and organizations deemed a national security concern.”
The ban on the sale of Kaspersky products comes into effect on July 20, 2024, with subsequent updates to Kaspersky software ceasing from September 29.
Kaspersky exits US
When visiting Kaspersky’s US website, users will now be greeted with a pop-up stating “With Kaspersky leaving the U.S., we’d like to pay you back with the least we can: gifting you a selection of our security solutions for free for 6 months.”
The company also provides some internet security tips:
- remember to always back up your data
- be wary of links and double-check their source before clicking
- protect your identity online, change passwords regularly, and keep them long and complex
As Kaspersky updates will no longer be allowed after September 29, users who choose to accept the 6 months of free security protection will have to manually update their antivirus definitions via the Kaspersky website.
This does, however, mean that the security of the product may decrease as the software will not update automatically as soon as one is available.
Kaspersky users looking for a new protection provider may want to check out our guide to the best antivirus, or our writeup of the best firewalls.
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