Why 'NO' to piracy?

Often we find advertisements, shout-outs and labels saying ‘Say NO to Software Piracy’. While some feel that these anti-software piracy campaigns are just "gimmicks" to convince people to spend more money on original software, the truth is, the threats one face when consuming pirated or counterfeit software is far more dangerous than one can imagine. "It is estimated that the direct costs to companies and businesses from dealing with malware from counterfeit software will hit US$114 billion globally this year, while potential losses from data breaches could reach nearly US$350 billion globally," said IDC in its recent research report on the danger of pirated and counterfeit software. The white paper entitled "The Dangerous World of Counterfeit and Pirted Sofware", which was commissioned by Microsoft Corp, added that consumers will not be spared as well. The research showed that consumers will waste US$22 billion and 1.5 billion hours dealing with security issues from counterfeit software this year. By installing pirated software into a computer, it puts the computer at risk -- as it could "weaken" the system so that it could be penetrated by viruses. It could also slow down a computer, as well as allow a hacker to obtain documents, pictures and files stored in the computer, remotely. The research revealed that when consumers installed counterfeit software into their computers, 26 per cent of their computers ended up infected with virus, while more than 45 per cent of them experienced slowed PC. The study also disclosed that 45 per cent of pirated software comes from the Internet, such as purchasing it via eBay, while 21 per cent of these software comes from the street market and 16 per cent are borrowed. "The cybercrime reality is that counterfeiters are tampering with the software code and lacing it with malware,” said Dr. Dzahar Mansor, National Technology Officer at Microsoft Malaysia, in a statement. “Some of this malware records a person’s every keystroke -- allowing cybercriminals to steal a victim’s personal and financial information -- or remotely switches on an infected computer’s microphone and video camera, giving cybercriminals eyes and ears in boardrooms and living rooms. The best way to secure yourself and your property from these malware threats when you buy a computer is to demand genuine software.” There are two types software, the pirated and counterfeit software. The pirated copies are the not licensed software whereby the counterfeit are the subset of pirated software but presented as an original copy.