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For people in the United States, uninstalling Kaspersky and moving to a supported antivirus is the prudent choice. The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) prohibited covered Kaspersky transactions with U.S. persons, including antivirus signature and codebase updates and Kaspersky Security Network operation, effective September 29, 2024. BIS says people who keep using an existing installation do not face individual legal penalties, but they accept the cybersecurity risks of doing so. Outside the United States, the decision depends on local rules, whether the installation still receives trustworthy updates, and your tolerance for vendor-jurisdiction risk. Independent testing shows Kaspersky can still block malware effectively; that technical result does not resolve the U.S. legal and supply-chain concerns.
Should U.S. users uninstall Kaspersky?
Yes. A U.S. user should arrange replacement protection and then remove Kaspersky rather than rely on an installation that may no longer receive permitted updates or cloud-network services.
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BIS distinguishes between legality and prudence. Its notice says individuals and businesses that continue using Kaspersky products and services will not face legal penalties under the determination, but “assumes all the cybersecurity and associated risks” of doing so. That means an existing installation is not automatically evidence of unlawful conduct; it is a decision to continue with a product subject to a U.S. prohibition and associated coverage concerns.
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Why did the United States prohibit Kaspersky?
The U.S. action is about trust, access and supply-chain exposure, not a finding that every Kaspersky scan fails to detect malware.
Potential access to sensitive information
BIS said Kaspersky’s jurisdiction could allow access to sensitive information belonging to U.S. customers. Antivirus software operates with high privileges and can inspect files, network activity and system behavior, so the agency treated the potential for compelled access as a national-security issue.
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Control over software and updates
The agency also cited the theoretical ability to install malicious software, withhold critical updates or otherwise affect systems through the vendor’s distribution and update mechanisms. These are supply-chain concerns: even a product that performs well in a malware test depends on the integrity and availability of its future code and signatures.
Data theft, espionage and malfunction risks
BIS identified possible data theft, espionage and system malfunction as consequences of the risks it assessed. The Federal Communications Commission’s Covered List decision adds a separate U.S. supply-chain warning concerning Kaspersky products. Together, those actions explain why U.S. organizations commonly treat removal as a risk-reduction measure rather than as a judgment about one scan result.
Kaspersky disputes the U.S. rationale. The company says it does not engage in activities that threaten U.S. national security, points to its reporting and protection against threat actors targeting U.S. interests and allies, and has proposed independent verification. That response is relevant context, but it does not change the BIS effective dates or the practical update problem for U.S. users.
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Is Kaspersky still effective at blocking malware?
In the specific versions and period tested by AV-Comparatives, Kaspersky delivered very strong malware protection. The result measures detection and prevention in a controlled test; it does not certify the vendor’s jurisdiction, future update access or resistance to state-directed interference.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute| Product | Test period and sample | Blocked | Compromised | Protection rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaspersky | AV-Comparatives real-world test, February–May 2025; 423 cases | 420 | 3 | 99.3% |
| Microsoft Defender | AV-Comparatives real-world test, February–May 2025; 423 cases | 419 | 4 | 99.1% |
AV-Comparatives’ 2025 annual summary gave Kaspersky a Top-Rated Product award and also listed Bitdefender among the Top-Rated products after testing 19 consumer Windows products. These are product-and-period-specific observations, not guarantees for every edition, operating system or later release. They show why “Kaspersky is ineffective” would be inaccurate, while “it is therefore safe for U.S. use” would also be an unjustified leap.
What happens if you keep Kaspersky installed?
The immediate consequence depends on your country and product edition, but U.S. users face a combination of update, support and trust concerns.
- Coverage may become stale: BIS prohibited covered signature and codebase updates and Kaspersky Security Network operation for U.S. persons from September 29, 2024. A product can remain installed while losing the update path that keeps protection current.
- Cloud-dependent functions may change: Features that depend on Kaspersky Security Network or vendor services may stop working, behave differently or provide less current information.
- You accept the stated risk: BIS says continued users are not subject to individual penalties under its determination, but they assume the cybersecurity and associated risks.
- Removal can become harder later: Waiting until an incident, subscription expiration or system migration leaves you with less time to test a replacement and confirm that it is active.
Outside the United States, continued use is a jurisdiction-specific decision. Confirm whether your country permits the product, whether your edition is still supported there, and whether updates arrive through a trustworthy channel. A high laboratory score cannot compensate for an update stream you cannot verify.
Is uninstalling worth it outside the United States?
There is no single worldwide answer. The strongest case for uninstalling is a local prohibition, uncertain update delivery or an organizational policy that rejects the vendor’s jurisdiction. The strongest case for a temporary hold is a managed migration in which the replacement is not yet ready and removing the current antivirus would leave the device unprotected.
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Uninstall now when these conditions apply
- Your government, employer or regulator restricts the product.
- The installation no longer receives current signatures, code updates or security support.
- You cannot verify where updates are delivered or how the product handles telemetry.
- You already have a tested replacement ready for the device and operating system.
Use a short, managed transition when removal would create a gap
Do not remove the only active antivirus and then shop for a replacement. Download or activate the alternative first, record any license information needed for a refund or account record, and schedule the change so the device can be restarted and checked immediately. On business systems, coordinate with the security administrator instead of making an unscheduled local change.
How do keeping Kaspersky and replacing it compare?
| Decision factor | Keep Kaspersky | Uninstall and replace |
|---|---|---|
| Malware protection | Strong result in the tested 2025 AV-Comparatives version. | Protection continues only after the replacement is installed, updated and confirmed active. |
| Trust and jurisdiction | Kaspersky rejects the U.S. rationale and has proposed independent verification, but the U.S. government maintains its determination. | Removes the vendor from the device and addresses the U.S. update and supply-chain concern. |
| Updates and support in the United States | Covered signature and codebase updates and Kaspersky Security Network operation are prohibited after September 29, 2024. | A supported alternative can receive current updates, subject to its own vendor and region. |
| Features and cost | Your existing edition may include firewall, web-protection and payment features, depending on the license. | Microsoft Defender is integrated into supported Windows systems; paid suites may add features and recurring cost. |
| Migration effort | No immediate migration work. | Requires installation, possible restart, an activity check and cleanup of leftover browser extensions or profiles where applicable. |
What antivirus should you use instead of Kaspersky?
Choose a product that is supported in your country, updates on your platforms and matches your needs without duplicating controls you already have.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Microsoft Defender is built into supported Windows installations and provides the simplest no-purchase baseline. It is a practical choice when you want integrated protection, automatic Windows management and no second antivirus subscription. Check Windows Security after removing Kaspersky rather than assuming that protection is active.
Bitdefender Total Security
Bitdefender Total Security is a paid consumer suite that AV-Comparatives listed among its 2025 Top-Rated products. Before buying, compare the number of devices covered, renewal price, privacy terms, supported platforms and feature overlap with your existing firewall or password tools. A test award does not make any commercial product risk-free.
Other independently tested suites
AV-Comparatives also tests products such as ESET, Norton, McAfee, Avast, AVG, F-Secure, G DATA and Malwarebytes. Compare protection, false alarms, performance impact, operating-system support, price and vendor jurisdiction rather than selecting solely by a single award or detection percentage.
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How do you remove Kaspersky from Windows?
Prepare the replacement first, then use Windows’ normal application removal path.
- Confirm that Microsoft Defender on a supported Windows system or your chosen replacement is ready to activate immediately after removal.
- Save only the license or account details you need for a refund, renewal record or support case. Avoid exporting sensitive data unnecessarily.
- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Search for “Kaspersky,” select the installed Kaspersky product and choose Uninstall.
- Follow the removal prompts. Restart when Windows requests it.
- Open Windows Security or the replacement suite and verify that real-time protection is active and updates are current.
- Check browsers for Kaspersky extensions or profiles that remain after the main application is removed, and delete them if you no longer need them.
If the entry is missing, the uninstall wizard errors, or components remain after a restart, use Kaspersky’s current official removal utility for your product rather than deleting folders manually. Manual deletion can leave services, drivers or browser components behind.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do you remove Kaspersky from a Mac?
- Activate or download the replacement protection before removing Kaspersky.
- Open Finder > Applications and locate the Kaspersky application.
- Move the application to the Trash, following any prompts shown by the app or macOS.
- Restart the Mac if the installer or removal process requests it.
- Use Kaspersky’s current removal utility if a normal removal fails or if system extensions, login items or browser extensions remain.
- Open the replacement product and verify that its protection and update status are current.
macOS versions and security permissions change over time, so do not use an old third-party cleanup script. If the application has a dedicated uninstaller, prefer that tool to deleting individual files.
What should businesses do before removing Kaspersky?
Business administrators should treat this as a controlled endpoint-security change, not a quick desktop cleanup. Inventory affected devices and editions, identify the replacement policy, test deployment on representative systems, and document that the new protection is active before removing the old agent.
BIS and CISA provide enterprise-focused removal guidance. Follow your organization’s change-control process, preserve the records needed for incident response, and coordinate with the security operations team if the endpoint is managed through a central console. Removing an agent from a server, shared workstation or regulated system without a replacement can create a larger exposure than leaving it in place briefly during a documented migration.
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How do you verify that the replacement is really protecting the device?
- Open the operating system’s security dashboard or the replacement console and confirm real-time protection is enabled.
- Check the displayed signature, engine or security-intelligence update date and run an update manually if it is stale.
- Confirm that only one primary real-time antivirus engine is active; two competing engines can cause conflicts and slowdowns.
- Review browser extensions, VPN-like network filters and startup items for leftovers from the removed product.
- Restart once more if the installer or operating system requested a reboot, then recheck protection status.
Keep the replacement’s account, renewal and privacy settings documented. Revisit those settings after a major operating-system upgrade or subscription change, because a product that is active today can become disabled when its license or permissions expire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do AV-Comparatives scores prove that Kaspersky is trustworthy?
No. The February–May 2025 result measures how the tested versions handled 423 malware cases. It does not test government access, supply-chain control, update availability in every country or future product behavior.
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A short, documented transition can be safer than removing the only endpoint protection before its replacement is ready. Administrators should follow BIS/CISA enterprise guidance, test deployment and record when each device becomes covered by the replacement.
What should I compare before paying for a replacement antivirus?
Check supported operating systems, device count, renewal price, privacy terms and overlapping features such as firewall or web filtering. Also confirm that the vendor is permitted and supported in your country.
Will Kaspersky updates work normally when I travel outside the United States?
Do not assume that travel changes the product’s legal or technical status. Verify the country rules, the account’s service region and the update status shown by the installed edition before relying on it.
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