14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has tried to fight piracy since forever, but it turns out that the company still has serious problems with this issue despite all its recent efforts to push users to legitimate software.
A new study conducted by IDC and the National University of Singapore (NUS) shows that Microsoft still has a long way to go to combat piracy, as business consumers worldwide are expected to spend no less than $500 billion (€359 billion) this year to address issues caused by problems with malware delivered via pirated applications.
At the same time, end users are also said to invest $25 billion (€17.9 billion) and spend 1.2 billion hours this year for basically the same thing, as piracy software remains a serious issue all over the world.
“While these statistics are frightening, they shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, cybercriminals aim to profit from any security lapse they can find. And through pirated software, they’ve found another way to introduce malware into computer networks – breaking in so they can grab whatever they want: your identity, your passwords and your money,” David Finn, associate general counsel & executive director, Microsoft Cybercrime Center, said.
And still, that doesn’t mean that consumers aren’t aware of the risks of using pirated software. 60 percent of them said they were afraid of losing data due to infected applications, while 51 percent pointed to unauthorized Internet transactions as their greatest fear. 50 percent said that hackers who could access bank accounts, emails, and social networking profiles were also among the biggest threats.
Government officials have also been questioned as part of the survey, with most of them explaining that loss of business trade secrets or competitive information is a main concern. 55 percent said that unauthorized access to confidential government information could also be an issue.
The same percentage of government officials said that the impact of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure was also a reason why pirated software needs to be reduced.
“The results of this study demonstrate, once again, how vital it is that individuals, small businesses, enterprises and government institutions buy new computers from reputable sources and demand genuine software. Because if you don’t, you never know what will come along for the ride,” Finn pointed out.
In the end, Microsoft promises to continue fighting software pirates and to provide enhanced protection to those buying legitimate licenses, with the new Cybercrime Center playing a key role in the company’s long-term strategy.