According to a new study conducted by IDC and the National University of Singapore (NUS), consumers worldwide are expected to spend $25 billion and waste 1.2 billion hours this year due to security threats and costly computer repairs resulting from malware found in pirated software.
On the other hand, businesses around the world are expected to spend $500 billion in 2014 to address issues related to malware that is intentionally embedded in pirated software. Of this, $127 billion will be spent on security issues and $364 billion on data breaches.
The study titled «The connection between pirated software and security breaches in cyberspace», also revealed that 60 percent of the surveyed consumers state that their biggest fear concerning «infected» software is the loss of data, files or personal information, while their next fear concerns unauthorized transactions on the Internet (51 percent) and piracy of email, social networking and bank accounts (50 percent). However, 43 percent of the same respondents do not install the updated security versions, leaving their computers exposed to cybercriminals.
Government officials expressed concern about the potential impact of cybersecurity threats on their nations. According to the survey, governments are most concerned about the loss of business trade secrets or competitive intelligence (59 percent), unauthorized access to confidential government information (55 percent), and the impact of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure (55 percent). It is estimated that governments could lose more than $50 billion in costs related to malware and pirated software.
The study was released as part of Microsoft’s “Play It Safe” campaign, a global initiative to raise awareness of the link between malware and piracy. Additional findings from the research include the following:
• Almost two thirds of business losses (315 billion dollars) will be in the hands of organized crime.
• Almost 20 percent of pirated software in businesses is installed by employees.
• Twenty‑eight percent of the businesses that responded reported security breaches that cause network, computer or website outages, which are observed every few months or more. 65 percent of these outages are due to malicious software.
The laboratory analysis by the National University of Singapore of 203 new computers loaded with pirated software found that 61 percent of these computers were already infected with unsafe malicious programs, including Trojans, worms, viruses, hack tools, root kits and adware. These computers, which are purchased through resellers and PC stores in 11 markets, contained more than 100 threats.
«It is extremely concerning that brand-new computers come pre-infected with dangerous malicious software due to pirated software, making users and companies vulnerable to security breaches», said Professor Biplab Sikdar, from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering of the National University of Singapore . «Laboratory examinations of the university report that cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the insecure supply chain of piracy to spread malicious software and seriously threaten computer security. We will only recommend using genuine software for online security and cybersecurity.»
The global study was conducted on 1,700 consumers, IT workers, chief information officers, as well as government officials in Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States, and 203 computers were analyzed in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States. This year's research is an extension of IDC's 2013 study titled «The Dangerous World of Plastic and Pirated Software», which differs with the stance of government officials, as well as the analysis of new markets, making the economic link with cybercrime.
Whether you are an individual user, a small business, or even a government organization, everyone is encouraged to purchase new computers from trusted sources to ensure they are receiving genuine software. Microsoft is committed to protecting its unsuspecting consumers from downloading or purchasing non-genuine software that exposes victims to malware that can lead to identity theft, data loss, and system failure. Customers are encouraged to visit https://www.microsoft.com/security to learn more about malware and ensure their devices are free of malware . If malware is found , the site offers tools to remove the infection.
