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Microsoft Finds Malware on 59% of Computers Running Pirated Windows

The company continues its efforts to show that piracy is bad

Dec 14, 2012 21:41 GMT  ·  By
Microsoft warns that malware could be then used to steal private data
   Microsoft warns that malware could be then used to steal private data

Microsoft is struggling to convince Chinese users that piracy is bad for their computers and it released a study showing that 59 percent of the computers are infected with malware even before they’re sold.

What’s more, 72 percent of these systems are delivered with modified browser settings, Marbridge Daily reports, which obviously puts users’ data at risk.

All these attempts are actually designed to help hackers steal private information and credit card numbers that would be stored on the computer once a user buys it.

Microsoft, however, has taken several measures to make sure that Windows 8 is no longer so easy to break into. The new operating system comes with the factory-installed Windows Defender anti-virus, but also with several security enhancements supposed to protect it from new attacks and make it harder to crack.