Chances are you let Kaspersky Antivirus protect your PC against malware. However, the popular security software is of Russian origin and that may now be a reason to look for another provider. You can read here why Kaspersky may no longer be safe to use and which antivirus we recommend.
Kaspersky has been an established name in antivirus for decades. Since 1997, the Russian Kaspersky Lab’s software has been running on countless computers to continuously monitor for malware infections in the background.
In general, the program was highly regarded all along, but that now seems to be changing. The German intelligence service BSI recommends exchanging Kaspersky for another antivirus package, which has everything to do with the current war situation.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused many international companies to withdraw from Russia, and firms of Russian origin are once again under a magnifying glass. So is Kaspersky Antivirus.
Cause for concern
That BSI advises against using Kaspersky, is because of how antivirus software works. These types of programs are in constant contact with the provider’s servers in order to protect you against the latest cyber threats. But that connection could in theory also be misused, about which concerns are now being raised.
Of course, Russia has long been known for cyber attacks and troll armies. Although there is no technical evidence yet that Kaspersky Antivirus is being misused for this purpose, it is certainly conceivable that the Russian government sees an opportunity here.
Incidentally, it is not the first time that the alleged connections between Kaspersky and the Russian government have made the news. In 2015, questions were also raised, at the time by the Bloomberg news agency. Kaspersky denied that then, and this time too reads the statement that there is no interference.
Read more about the possible dangers of Kaspersky with our colleagues from Computer Idee.
Which antivirus?
Well, it may be reason for you to suspect Kaspersky too. Then you may be wondering which antivirus is a good replacement. The good news here is that a separate, paid antivirus package is much less necessary today than it used to be.
Not because the threat has diminished, quite the contrary in fact. Just check how many important files are on your PC, you don’t want them to fall into the wrong hands or you can no longer access them due to a ransomware attack. One good backup is of great importance, but prevention is of course better than cure.
No, the reason you might be better off paying for antivirus software is because Microsoft already provides Windows 10 and 11 with excellent protection. This in the form of Microsoft Defender.
Microsoft Defender
By default, Microsoft Defender runs in the background of any Windows installation. It costs you nothing and independent tests have shown that in recent years Defender is very decisive and up-to-date with regard to the latest malware developments.
Read here how to perform a quick virus scan with Defender or read our article about Microsoft Defender settings. You could uninstall Kaspersky and just need Defender to protect your PC.
Other antivirus software
Do paid antivirus packages no longer have a right to exist? Certainly. Because these specialized suites also often offer good protection and regularly add nice extras for the price, which increase your cyber security in several areas.
For the money you also get a password manager, a VPN (often with a data limit), automatic backups to an encrypted cloud environment, et cetera. These companies also often come up with mobile apps, although we are not in favor of that.
Some well-known Kaspersky Antivirus alternatives are Bitdefender, AVG, McAfee, F Secure, Malwarebytes, ESET, and Norton. Some of these are (partly) free, others are not. It also differs per package which extras are included and on how many devices you can install the software.
Would you like to know more about the protection of your digital belongings and online identity? Then we recommend the course bundle Security and Privacy at. It also covers things like Windows security, VPN usage, password management, and much more.
We recently compared eight antivirus providers, including Kasperky. If you are looking for the best antivirus of the moment to replace Kaspersky, be sure to read that article. Or fall back (possibly temporarily) on the free Defender.
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