14 DAY TRIAL // A recent Microsoft study indicates that even for professionals it is very hard to distinguish between high-quality counterfeit software and the real thing. This is why Microsoft emphasizes the importance of the free tools it is providing as a way for its business users to verify whether or not the Microsoft software products acquired are indeed genuine. According to the Redmond company, 37% of the companies surveyed have been victims of software counterfeiting, which they purchased believing it to be genuine products. Office Genuine Advantage and Windows Genuine Advantage along with the Microsoft Software Inventory Analyzer (MSIA) are designed to let customers easily find out if they have been duped.
“The findings from our latest research clearly indicate that good businesses can be defrauded by high-quality counterfeit software, and we want to do everything we can to protect our customers,” revealed Cori Hartje, senior director of Microsoft’s Genuine Software Initiative. “No business wants to unintentionally line the pockets of counterfeiters, especially in these tough times when resources are tight.”
For both business and also home users, running pirated software involves a number of risks, which in the end could easily cost more than the “too good to be true” price of the counterfeit products. Microsoft warns that customers deploying pirated Windows and Office on their systems run an increased risk of data loss and/or increased system instability, but also identity theft, and ultimately financial loss.
“The bad guys change strategies, and we have to stay ahead of them,” Hartje added. “With high-quality counterfeit software, where the packaging is very good and the price is reasonable, it can be difficult for a customer to tell the difference. The best way to protect your business network is to always purchase products from reliable sources, stay away from deals that look too good to be true and remain vigilant about what’s entering your computing environment.”