Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky is shuttering its United Kingdom operations and laying off its London-based staff. This strategic retreat comes just three months after the company executed a similar withdrawal from the United States, citing a need to shift toward a partner-led business model in the region.
Operational Shift or Forced Exit?
Kaspersky spokesperson Francesco Tius confirmed that the company has initiated a wind-down of its UK office. The firm intends to pivot its local business strategy toward the partner channel. According to Tius, this restructuring involves “less than 50 employees” currently based in London.
“This step will enable our company to harness available business opportunities in the U.K. market in a more efficient manner,” Tius stated. The company maintains that UK customers and partners will retain full access to its European team and existing distribution networks to ensure continuity of its cybersecurity services.
Mounting Pressure and Geopolitical Headwinds
The closure of the UK office marks the latest blow to Kaspersky, a company that has spent years battling allegations of close ties to the Russian government—claims the firm has consistently denied. These geopolitical tensions culminated in June when the U.S. government imposed a sweeping ban on the sale of Kaspersky products.
The U.S. Precedent: The UltraAV Transition
The U.S. ban forced a complete exit from the American market, triggering a controversial transition for its user base. Kaspersky transferred its U.S. customers to a third-party provider, UltraAV. The process drew significant criticism after users discovered that Kaspersky software had remotely uninstalled itself and been replaced by UltraAV without explicit user consent.
Kaspersky defended the forced software swap, asserting that customers had been sufficiently notified of the transition, despite the absence of a direct opt-in process for the replacement software.