Microsoft: Businesses around the world are expected to spend $ 500 billion on 2014 to deal with malware-related issues deliberately found in pirated software.
Of these 127, billions of dollars will be spent on security issues and 364 billions of dollars in data breaches, according to a new study by IDC and Singapore's National University (NUS). On the other hand, consumers worldwide are expected to spend 25 billions of dollars and spend 1,2 twice this year because of security threats and costly computer repairs stemming from malware located in pirated software.
The study, titled "Linking Pirated Software and Cyber Security Violations," also revealed that 60 per cent of consumers surveyed say their biggest fear of "infected" software is data, files or personal data loss, while their next fear concerns unauthorized Internet transactions (51 percent) and email piracy, social networking and bank accounts (50 percent). However, 43 percent of the same respondents do not install security updates, leaving their computers exposed to cyber criminals.
Government officials have voiced concern over the possible impact of cyber-security threats on their nations. According to the survey, governments are more concerned about losing business business secrets or competing information (59 percent), unauthorized access to confidential government information (55 per cent), and the impact of cyber attacks on critical infrastructures (55 one hundred). It is estimated that governments could lose more than 50 billions of dollars to counter the costs associated with malware in pirated software.
"Cybercriminals are taking advantage of any security vulnerabilities they can find, with disastrous financial consequences for everyone," said David Finn, general manager of the Microsoft Cybercrime Center. "Motivated by money, they have found new ways to get into computer networks so they can grab whatever they want: your ID, your passwords and your money. That is why at Microsoft Cybercrime Center our goal is to put an end to these malicious acts in order to keep personal and financial data safe while reducing financial incentives for criminals. "
The study was released as part of the campaign "PlayItSafeMicrosoft, a global initiative to raise awareness of the link between malware and piracy.
Additional research findings include the following:
• Almost two-thirds of business losses (315 billion) will be in the hands of organized crime.
• Almost 20 percent of pirated software in businesses installed by the workers.
• Twenty-eight percent of respondents reported security breaches that cause network, computer or website interruptions that occur every few months or more. 65 percent of these holidays are due to malware.
"Using pirated software is like walking in a minefield: You do not know when something unpleasant will happen, but if it does, it can be very devastating," said John Gantz, chief researcher at IDC. "The financial risks are significant and the potential losses can make profitable businesses find themselves in shaky ground. "Buying legal software is less expensive in the long run - at least you know you will not get anything" extra "in the form of malware."
Laboratory analysis of the Singapore National University on 203 New Pure Software loaded with 61 found that 11 percent of these computers were already infected with unsafe malicious programs, including Trojans, worms, viruses, hack tools, root kits and adware. These computers, purchased through resellers and PC stores in 100 markets, included more than XNUMX threats.
"It is extremely worrying that brand new computers come pre-infected with dangerous malware due to pirated software, making users and companies vulnerable to security breaches," said Professor Biplab Sikdar, of the Department of Computer Engineering. of Singapore. "University laboratory tests show that cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the insecure supply chain of piracy to spread malware and posing a serious threat to computer security. We will only recommend the use of genuine software for online security and cyber security. "
The global study was conducted among 1.700 consumers, IT workers, chief information officers, and government officials in Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and analyzed 203 computers 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, The Dangerous World of Counterfeit and Pirated Software, which looked at the attitudes of government officials, as well as analyzing new markets, making the financial connection to crime in cyberspace.
Είτε πρόκειται για έναν μεμονωμένο χρήστη, είτε για μια μικρή επιχείρηση ή ακόμα και έναν κρατικό οργανισμό, όλοι ενθαρρύνονται να αγοράζουν νέους υπολογιστές από αξιόπιστες πηγές προκειμένου να διασφαλίσουν ότι λαμβάνουν γνήσιο λογισμικό. Η Microsoft έχει δεσμευτεί να προστατεύει τους ανυποψίαστους καταναλωτές της από τη λήψη ή την αγορά μη γνήσιου λογισμικού που εκθέτει τα θύματα σε κακόβουλο λογισμικό που μπορεί να οδηγήσει σε theft ταυτότητας, απώλεια δεδομένων και failure (αποτυχίες) του συστήματος. Οι πελάτες ενθαρρύνονται να επισκεφθούν το http: //www.Microsoft.com/security to learn more about malware and ensure that the Appliances them are not contaminated. If malware is found, the site offers tools to remove the infection.
More information about IDC research is available at Microsoft PlayitSafe, and the Digital Crimes Group's Press Office http: //www.Microsoft.com/en-us/News/presskits/dcu/default.aspx.
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