Kaspersky is bowing out of the USA. Following the declaration that Kaspersky products are persona non grata in the land of the free, the Russian cybersecurity giant has decided there is no more room for them to play ball there.

Kaspersky will now exit from the U.S. market, waving goodbye to a 20-year stint. They will be laying off all their U.S. employees according to various reports and a company statement.

The U.S. government threw down the gauntlet in June, banning Kaspersky software across the nation. This is not just about software sales; it includes any business dealings with Kaspersky. Come late September or early October, downloading updates or transferring licenses will become illegal in the U.S.. The Kaspersky Security Network will also cease its threat data collection in the USA, marking the end of an era for Kaspersky's American dream.

Business no more

Kaspersky has concluded that their American adventure has reached the final chapter. According to US journalist Kim Zetter quoted, the company noted that fewer than 50 employees would be caught in this crossfire.

Kaspersky had hoped to at least peddle some cyberthreat intelligence services and training courses stateside. They even suggested having their offerings vetted by a trusted third party. However, the US Department of Commerce did not react and decided to keep the end zone strictly off-limits for Kaspersky.

And so, Kaspersky waves goodbye on their US business ventures.

Why ban Antivirus software?

Antivirus software, whether it is from Kaspersky or American pals like Symantec, needs to dig deep into your files to hunt down malicious code. This level of access is like giving them the keys to your digital kingdom, which could be a tad risky. With Russia and the U.S. not exactly on BFF terms, the government has decided Kaspersky’s software is too hot to handle. But here is the kicker: they have never actually shown any proof that Kaspersky or the Russian government used this software to play spy games with user data.

If you are looking for an alternative antivirus software, here you can find some of the best antivirus alternatives that are waiting to replace Kaspersky on your device.