At the end of September, Kaspersky uninstalled itself and replaced itself with a new antivirus called UltraAV on the computers of around a million Americans, surprising many who were not asked for consent for the change. This move came as a result of the U.S. government ban on all sales of Kaspersky software in the country, effectively marking the end of Kaspersky in America.

However, not everyone in the U.S. has abandoned the Russian-made antivirus. Some Americans have found ways to bypass the ban and continue using Kaspersky antivirus, as reported by TechCrunch.

Several U.S. residents shared on Reddit that they are still loyal Kaspersky customers. When asked about their reasons, some expressed skepticism about the ban, having already paid for the product, or simply preferring it over other options.

One Reddit user mentioned that Kaspersky is well-known globally as the best antivirus with a solid track record. They also pointed out the lack of actual evidence supporting claims of it being ‘spyware,’ and expressed skepticism towards such unfounded allegations.

Another Reddit user, who remains a Kaspersky user, mentioned not being concerned about allegations of data misuse by Kaspersky. They stated that as a cashier, they are not an interesting target for cyber spies and have been using the product for 10 years out of habit, finding it to be a quality product.

To bypass the ban on sales, these users either purchased their license before the ban or have utilized a VPN or non-U.S. server for updates, effectively making them non-U.S. users according to Kaspersky.

Kaspersky did not provide a comment in response to TechCrunch’s request. A user from Brooklyn explained that he continues to use the software by updating virus definitions from servers outside the U.S., without using a VPN.

Another user said they bought an international license key on eBay and utilized an international update server to receive security updates. When their license expires, they plan to switch to ESET or Bitdefender.

Similarly, a Reddit user mentioned using a VPN for updates and having a few months left on their license, indicating they might consider continuing to use Kaspersky if the VPN option works well.