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What now that Kaspersky is banned in more and more countries?

For many (neighboring) countries, the war in Ukraine is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. After the Netherlands and the United States had already banned the use of Kaspersky Antivirus a few years ago at, among others, ministries and organizations with vital processes and services, countries like Germany now also decide to ban the use of this Russian antivirus software.

Given the many questions we are getting about this, we are compiling all the info in the article below:

Kaspersky Antivirus: popular worldwide

It is estimated that some 400 million computers worldwide use Kaspersky Antivirus. This places the Russian company among the most popular antivirus providers worldwide. Both companies and individuals eagerly install the program to protect against malware and viruses.

What's going on at Kaspersky Labs?

The use of Kaspersky Antivirus software has been under fire for several years. As early as 2017, then-President Donald Trump signed a law allowing a ban on Kaspersky software. The Dutch government also followed suit and banned any further use of Kaspersky Antivirus, for fear of digital espionage and sabotage.

At the time, the Center for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) saw no reason for a similar ban because Kaspersky had since moved its data processing from Russia to Switzerland.

Once again under fire for invasion of Ukraine

With the invasion of Ukraine, Russian companies are under heavy pressure. Kaspersky Labs is not escaping this either. For example, the German Federal Office of Security in Information Technology (BSI) - the German counterpart of our CCB - in mid-March to stop using antivirus software from this Russian company. The service advises companies to switch to alternative antivirus software.

Now that Kaspersky is blacklisted in more and more countries, we also see a lot of questions from Belgian organizations about possible alternatives.

What is the alternative to Kaspersky Antivirus for my business?

From our expertise in cybersecurity, VanRoey offers these 4 alternatives to. Of course, we look at each request or situation individually to determine which solution is the best fit:

  1. Fortinet FortiClient EMSFortinet Expert Partner | VanRoey.besoftware that can be pushed to the endpoint for device protection. Ideal in combination with other components of the Fortinet Security Fabric.
  2. Fortinet FortiEDREDR can detect suspicious movements at lightning speed. Potentially infected devices are immediately isolated. This nips the spread of unknown malware in the bud and prevents worse from happening. Be sure to read the recent blog of our Security Expert Els Bleys About this topic.
  3. Trend Micro Worry Free Antivirusentered our range as an alternative to Symantec EndPoint Protection. An all-in-one solution that offers employees protection anywhere, on any device.
  4. SentinelOne: is a US cyber security company that is very much betting on artificial intelligence for endpoint and server security. SentinelOne LogoThey also offer Identity Protection to very accurately protect your Active Directory setup, among other things.

Would you like more info about the above products? Do not hesitate to contact our specialists:

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"With Kaspersky being blacklisted in more and more countries, we also notice quite a few questions from Belgian organizations towards possible alternatives. "
What if they are sitting inside?
With EDR you identify and isolate potential malware at lightning speed

Written by:

Tom Hufkens
Marketing Manager at VanRoey

A familiar face at VanRoey for almost 15 years. Literally and figuratively: because of his role as Marketing Manager, he is regularly at the centre of our communication. He regularly shares his experiences of new marketing methods during workshops & events.

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