Barclays axes free Kaspersky software for account holders

redfox wrote: »

Cynical me thinks they've quickly seized an opportunity to save a few quid.

This news has been coming for a while. I guess we'll find out if you are right to be cynical if they replace the offer with one using a different AV software provider.

I hope they do, I've been waiting for them to change supplier for a very long time

I suggest you stay away from Abu Dhabi as well or did you forget about Vincennes? There is absolutely no doubt there who that missile belonged to

I've been using the software and was scheduled to renew at the end of this month, so their timing is unfortunate for me. I take it when they say they've stopped it for "new users" they mean that existing users cannot renew it.

Shame, as I liked it and I don't really care if the Russians are reading my internet forum posts and gathering data from my online shopping habits. It would have been nice to get in before the lock and not have to worry about it for another twelve months or so.

Any idea whether they'll be replacing it with anything similar? I'm guessing no, since their freebies seem to be fairly haphazard in general (not that I'm complaining, free things are nice).

Snakey wrote: »

I've been using the software and was scheduled to renew at the end of this month, so their timing is unfortunate for me. I take it when they say they've stopped it for "new users" they mean that existing users cannot renew it.

The news reports are ambiguous. The wording being used is that the offer is being stopped for "new customers" or "new users", but then the BBC article was confusing because it suggested 290,000 emails were sent out to people who have used the software in the last decade.

To my mind, a person renewing a product is an existing customer, not a new customer. I did not get the email and have some time to go before renewal. I'm hoping this means existing users will get the option to renew.

Do let us know what happens in your case.

I find the media furore over this to be completely unnecessary and misleading.

1) There is zero evidence of Kaspersky having been used in the way that is being alleged. Kaspersky are actively working with authorities to find a way around the issue.

2) Even if the Russian state could gain something from spying on individual users in UK (unlikely), what can they possibly do with your data? I would be more concerned about snooping by the Government of the country you actually live in, because they can certainly affect your civil liberties.

3) It's naive to think the Russians are the only ones at it. If we're talking conspiracy theories, perhaps it's the case that the US / UK Governments feel they can't properly snoop on their own citizens because Kaspersky either prevents or would detect the intrusion. Home grown security companies would happily play ball with the US / UK spy agencies and would give them the back door that they want, not least because they would be governed by US or UK law.

We already know Theresa May is anti-civil liberties and pro-snooping.

IMO, Barclays did not need to pull this offer. People have a free choice over whether to use it or not. It would have been sufficient to include a warning for those working in Government jobs connected to our national security, but then those people should already be knowledgeable on matters of security to not require such a warning.