Kaspersky Accuses Microsoft of Deleting its Antivirus

Eugene Kaspersky, co-founder of antivirus company Kaspersky Lab, is very upset with Microsoft. Such are the actions of Microsoft with regards to Windows ten security that he's filed not one, but two antitrust complaints confronting the company. The get-go was with Russia'due south Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) in November concluding year. The second was just filed with the European Committee and High german Federal Cartel Office.

The reason for the complaints is Kaspersky'due south frustration with Microsoft disabling and removing his visitor's antivirus software during a Windows ten upgrade. The software is apparently disabled and so replaced with Microsoft'due south own Windows Defender, a software security solution Kaspersky claims is inferior.

In a detailed web log post, Eugene Kaspersky explains how Windows 10 makes using Kaspersky software difficult. For example, when running a programme you encounter the typical "Do you want to run this program?" publisher trust check. Simply the main betoken of business organisation is what happens during an upgrade.

Kaspersky claims that when Windows x is upgraded its software is disabled and Windows Defender is turned on. The reason given during the upgrade is that "it doesn't work on this version of Windows." More confusingly for the user, Kaspersky nonetheless appears every bit installed software on the installed programs list, but most of the files have been removed and it no longer runs.

That sounds a little too aggressive on the part of Microsoft, and Kaspersky explains why it happens. Windows will continue to let a piece of software to run as long as it is compatible. Microsoft issues criteria to allow tertiary-party developers to ensure their software remains compatible, and problems the criteria before an update is released. All the same, developers used to be given a couple of months to make any necessary changes, but now Kaspersky claims it's apparently more like a couple of weeks.

If compatibility-breaking changes can't exist stock-still before Microsoft releases the update, software is detected as incompatible and removed. Kaspersky doesn't believe this is fair behavior, hence the complaint.

He finishes the blog postal service by calling out Microsoft for being "misleading and misinforming" users. He wants all security solutions to take an equal basis on the Windows platform, and not for Windows Defender to be a mandatory inclusion and automatic replacement when something goes amiss.