As Russia’s war against Ukraine presses on, products and services from the country continue to become blacklisted in concerns over national security. You are typically advised against using such products and services on both the personal and professional levels. Now, Kaspersky (by AO Kaspersky Labs), a (normally) popular Russian antivirus solution has found its way into the mix.
It is no surprise that an antivirus solution like this could end up blacklisted. Clearly, these programs are one of our main lines of defense against malware, adware, and other forms of vulnerabilities and intrusion. So, it would be wise to choose a solution that you can trust. There have been past concerns surrounding Kaspersky and possible ties the company may have to the Russian government.
The FCC’s blacklisting prevents federal departments/agencies from making use of the company’s software. It also places a number of other restrictions on the company. It does not, however, require consumers to do the same. It is simply advised that users switch to something that doesn’t post such a risk.
That being said, there doesn’t seem to be any hard evidence of the software being a threat of any kind (yet). However, it may be wise to replace it with something else (if you haven’t already) just to be sure. Thankfully, there are plenty of options to pick from.
Here are just a few!
- Norton: The company is one of the longest living antivirus companies out there (thus far). Trusted by millions, the company offers many solutions to protect your computers and network from viruses and other nasties you’d much prefer to avoid.
- McAfee: Another one of the longest living antivirus companies out there (actually, it was the first). Also has plenty of options to pick from. The company was made even more popular by the shenanigans surrounding its original founder, John McAfee.
- Avast: A solution developed in the Czech Republic that has grown to become one of the top options out there. A few years, it was rated #1 due to its incredibly high detection rate of malware.
- AVG (by Grisoft): Also from the Czech Republic and also a popular option that has made top lists many times over the years. It started in the US around 1998 and continued to maintain a positive record throughout the years. Its free version of the software really created a place on the map for the company and it continued to develop enhanced all-inclusive solutions like all the rest.
These are just a few of the many popular options out there. There is also BitDefender, ESET, and more.
Again, there is no hard evidence that Kaspersky is harmful. It is simply the chance of there being a threat, more than anything else (posing a risk to security). The software is actively being developed by a company located within a country that is known for close relationships with its companies that could prove useful to the countries intelligence agencies (similar to China).
