Using Kaspersky's VPN? Here's how to remove it from your PC, Mac or phone
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows no signs of slowing down, hundreds of international companies are enacting various trade bans or sanctions on the country. Companies like Microsoft, Google and Apple stopped operations or pulled their products from Russian shelves.
Fears that hackers can use Russian-developed software for cyberattacks against the U.S. have also sparked a ban on products like Kaspersky’s various software offerings.
If you have any Kaspersky products installed, like its virtual private network (VPN) service, read on for instructions on how to remove them.
Here’s the backstory
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently added Kaspersky to its list of products and services it deems “a threat to national security” and urged all users to remove it and instead install an alternative.
Before the latest developments, former U.S. President Trump banned any Kaspersky products from being used in federal systems, citing a link between the company and the Russian government. The same advice goes for consumers, and we wrote an article earlier on why you should remove the antivirus immediately.
But the offerings don’t stop at antivirus, as millions of people also use its VPN service. It’s time to remove Kaspersky VPN from all of your devices.
Safely removing Kaspersky VPN
We recently shared instructions on removing Kaspersky antivirus from your device. Since then we’ve received a ton of messages asking about Kaspersky VPN. Yes, you need to stop using it and remove it from all your devices ASAP!
Here’s how to remove Kaspersky VPN from your Windows PC:
- Right-click on the Start button and click Apps and Features.
- Scroll down the list of installed applications and click on Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection. Click Uninstall.
- After the uninstallation process is complete, click Yes to restart your computer.
How to remove it from Mac:
How the BBC is getting real news into Russia is fascinating
In most parts of the world, you can turn on any news network to get a glimpse of the devastation from Russia’s continued invasion of neighboring Ukraine. If you live in Russia, that’s not the case.
Russian citizens get their information only from state-run news outlets, which paints a very different picture from what’s actually happening. Vladimir Putin is hiding details of his military’s brutality in Ukraine from his people. Tap or click here to spot fake Russian social media accounts and posts.
Ukraine Invasion: What it means for you and your family if Russia retaliates against the US
Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, launching a coordinated attack by land, sea and air. Joseph Borrel, the EU foreign affairs chief, put it simply: “These are among the darkest hours of Europe since the Second World War.” Countries globally are condemning Russia, weighing in with sanctions to protest, and America’s voice is one of the loudest.
10 things (aside from gas) that will get more expensive during the Russian-Ukrainian war
Millions worldwide looked on in horror as Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, the most significant attack in Europe since World War II. The invasion has continued to grow, and there is no clear answer on how long the war will continue. Tap or click here to secure your tech and prepare for cyberattacks.
Retaliation? Russian hackers take credit for McDonald's ransomware attack
In an effort to hurt the U.S., Russia launched a cyberattack on the quintessential American food chain: McDonald’s. To be more specific, a Russian group called Snatch took the credit for a recent hack on the McDonald’s Corporation. According to National Cybersecurity News, Snatch stole 500GB of data and demanded payment on the Dark Web.