Migration from Kaspersky Business Select to Kaspersky EDR Foundation/Optimum through KSC 13.2

[kasperskyuser854]

Hi everyone,

We are currently using Kaspersky Business Select, and our license will expire soon. Since Kaspersky Business Select has been discontinued, we are planning to renew with either Kaspersky EDR Foundation or Kaspersky EDR Optimum.

Before proceeding, I have a few questions:

1. If I simply create a license installation task in Kaspersky Security Center (KSC) 13.2 and apply a Kaspersky EDR Foundation or Kaspersky EDR Optimum license to endpoints that are currently running Kaspersky Business Select, will there be any compatibility issues?
2. Will the existing endpoint protection continue to function normally (including antivirus signature updates) after applying the new license, even if I do not immediately deploy the EDR components?
3. Based on my understanding, the EDR features require an additional agent to be installed on each endpoint. Since I do not have access to Active Directory or SCCM, I cannot remotely deploy the EDR agent. In this situation:
   • Can I continue using the endpoints with the new license without installing the EDR agent?
   • Will only the EDR functionality be unavailable until the agent is installed, while the antivirus protection continues to work?
4. Finally, is Kaspersky Security Center 13.2 fully compatible with Kaspersky EDR Foundation and Kaspersky EDR Optimum, or is an upgrade required?

I would appreciate any guidance from anyone who has gone through this migration or has experience with these products.

Thank you!

[Tahmeed702]

Great questions! Let me break this down one by one in a very simple and clear way.

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✅ Q1: Will applying a new license cause compatibility issues?

Short answer: No, there will be no compatibility issues.

Here's why — when you apply EDR Foundation or EDR Optimum license via a license installation task in KSC, you are just unlocking new features on the same KES agent already installed. The underlying engine doesn't change. Think of it like entering a license key in software — the software itself doesn't reinstall.

✔️ Safe to apply. No disruption expected.

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✅ Q2: Will AV protection and signature updates continue normally?

Yes, absolutely.

Antivirus protection, real-time scanning, and signature updates are all part of KES (the core engine) — not the EDR layer. The license controls which features are active, but it never breaks the foundation.

Even after applying the new license, your endpoints will:

• ✔️ Continue scanning in real-time
• ✔️ Receive signature/database updates as usual
• ✔️ Apply all existing protection policies

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✅ Q3: Can you use endpoints without installing the EDR agent?

This is the most important clarification — 

For EDR Foundation and EDR Optimum, the EDR functionality is built directly into KES itself (from KES version 11.7 onward). There is no separate EDR agent to install.

⚠️ You might be thinking of Kaspersky EDR Expert — that one uses a separate KEDR/KATA sensor agent. But Foundation and Optimum? No extra agent needed.

So to answer directly:

• You don't need AD or SCCM to deploy anything extra
• AV protection works fully ✔️
• EDR features (like threat hunting, IOC detection, response actions) activate automatically once the license is applied and the correct KES version is running

The only thing you need to check is whether your KES version on endpoints supports the EDR tier you choose:

Product	KES Version Needed
EDR Foundation	KES 12.12 recommended
EDR Optimum	KES 12.12 recommended

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⚠️ Q4: Is KSC 13.2 fully compatible?

This is where you need to be careful.

KSC 13.2 is an older management console. While it can manage KES endpoints, there are some limitations:

Concern	Details
Basic KES management	✔️ Works fine on KSC 13.2
EDR Optimum dashboards & response tasks	⚠️ May be limited or missing in KSC 13.2
EDR Foundation management	⚠️ Partial support only
Full EDR feature access	Recommended: KSC 14.2 or KSC 15

💡 Recommendation: Upgrade KSC to at least version 14.2 (preferably 15.1) before or alongside your license renewal. KSC upgrades are free and don't affect your endpoint agents.

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🎯 Summary Table

Your Question	Simple Answer
License change causes issues?	❌ No issues. Same KES, new features unlocked
AV protection continues?	✔️ Yes, fully continues
Separate EDR agent needed?	❌ No — built into KES for Foundation & Optimum
Can you use it without EDR agent?	✔️ Yes, AV works; EDR also works without extra agent
KSC 13.2 compatible?	⚠️ Partially — recommend upgrading KSC for full EDR features

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The migration from Business Select to EDR Foundation/Optimum is actually very smooth. The main action items are: ✅ Apply the license key via KSC task, and ✅ Plan a KSC upgrade to get the full EDR management experience.

Regards
Ahnaf Tahmeed