The US will ban Kaspersky Lab’s software and services starting(new window) September 29, 2024, stating that this is due to national security concerns over potential Russian government influence and cyber threats. This means the sale and provisioning of software updates of any Kaspersky products will be prohibited in the United States and to US citizens. The US government advised customers to switch to other cybersecurity solutions, though there won’t be any legal penalties to those who continue to use Kaspersky products.
This article briefly summarizes the Kaspersky ban and looks at whether Kaspersky is safe. If you choose to avoid Kaspersky products, we offer some secure alternative solutions to protect your network against surveillance and data breaches.
What is Kaspersky Lab?
Kaspersky is a popular developer of antivirus software and cybersecurity services based in Moscow and with offices around the world. The company has denied allegations from the US and other countries that it has ties to Russian government surveillance.
Is Kaspersky safe?
Nothing has ever come to light suggesting Kaspersky is unsafe, and there is no proof that Kaspersky has ties to the Russian government. However, the many bans and restrictions on Kaspersky could result in security vulnerabilities that are not patched. Hackers will be looking to exploit outdated Kaspersky software as a result of these bans.
In addition to the US, the following countries have banned or restricted the use of Kaspersky products due to stated privacy and security concerns:
- Canada (October 2023) banned(new window) Kaspersky from government mobile devices.
- Romania (December 2022) banned(new window) Kaspersky and other Russian security solutions from public institutions and private IT institutions with classified information.
- Italy (March 2022) restricted(new window) the use of Russian antivirus software in the public sector.
- Germany (March 2022) issued(new window) a warning against using Kaspersky software and advised users to switch to alternative cybersecurity solutions.
- Netherlands (May 2018) announced(new window) plans to phase out Kaspersky software from government systems.
- UK (December 2017) banned(new window) Kaspersky from national security departments.
- Lithuania (December 2017) banned(new window) Kaspersky on sensitive computers in public and private companies.
Although no definitive proof has been presented against Kaspersky, concerns remain due to Russia’s tight surveillance of its companies. For example, the country has strict regulations on VPNs(new window), requiring VPN providers to register with the government and log user activity.
Even if your country has not banned or restricted the use of Kaspersky products yet, you may decide to be cautious and seek alternative solutions.
Proton’s cybersecurity solutions
Proton provides an encrypted ecosystem that protects your data from surveillance and breaches, including cloud storage, passwords, internet connection(new window), email, and calendar.
Our mission is to build a private internet, and we are primarily owned by a nonprofit(new window) that ensures we remain focused on this objective. All Proton apps are open source(new window), independently audited, and end-to-end encrypted — no one can see your passwords or personal information, not even us.
We’ll highlight two of our products in particular as alternatives to Kaspersky software:
Proton Pass
Your password manager holds the keys to all your accounts, making it essential to choose one that you can trust. Proton Pass is an encrypted password manager you can use to store all your passwords in a safe place. It provides a strong password generator(new window), passkeys(new window), and an integrated 2FA authenticator(new window) to secure any account that supports this security method.
You can safely share passwords using end-to-end encrypted links(new window), set expiration dates, and revoke access anytime. Plus, Proton Pass can keep your email address private using hide-my-email aliases(new window), protect your payment info, and store your data in vaults(new window).
Our Pass Monitor(new window) feature protects your account by using Password Health to detect weak or reused passwords and Dark Web Monitoring to find out if your personal data has been leaked. Additionally, Proton Sentinel(new window) prevents account takeover.
Proton VPN
At Proton we maintain control over our servers and we use full-disk encryption(new window) to protect them from sophisticated attacks. Headquartered in Switzerland(new window), Proton VPN has a strict no-logs policy(new window), which means we don’t collect, store or share any identifying IP addresses, online activity, or timestamps.
We use strong VPN protocols(new window) and encryption methods(new window) to keep your internet traffic private, no matter where you connect. Our network of more than 6,500 VPN servers(new window) in 110+ countries is optimized for high-speed connections(new window), streaming(new window), torrenting(new window), Tor over VPN(new window), extra security through our Secure Core(new window) solution, and private browsing with an ad and malware blocker(new window).
As a company based in Switzerland, we adhere to strict neutrality, and the limited data that is accessible to us is protected by some of the world’s strongest privacy laws. For example, as a Swiss company, we cannot be compelled to engage in bulk surveillance and we are not allowed to share data with foreign law enforcement agencies. You can learn more about the benefits of Swiss jurisdiction here(new window).
For businesses looking to switch to a secure ecosystem, you can learn more about Proton for Business or contact our team.
