Some US Kaspersky security users got a big surprise when their protection was suddenly replaced by UltraAV due to a government ban. But Kaspersky’s demise has been looming for years.

In a statement to CNET, Kaspersky says that it partnered with UltraAV, a company owned by Pango Group, a holding company based in Burlington, Massachusetts, to keep US-based custo

Kaspersky's antivirus software deletes itself across the US and installs UltraAV instead without notifying customers. Some are frustrated and struggling to uninstall the new program.

The Russian cybersecurity company says it's been notifying users of the change and is aiming for a smooth transition of software.

"Following the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce that prohibits Kaspersky from selling or updating certain antivirus products in the United States, Kaspersky part