Computer Security IDC Report: 33 Percent of Software is Fake and Malware...

IDC Report: 33 Percent of Software is Fake and Malware Market Worth Over $114 Billion

counterfiet software malware marketSecurity researchers and computer experts will probably conclude that they have their hands full considering a bleak outlook revealed in the Microsoft-commissioned International Data Corporation (IDC) white paper saying that the malware market will reach $114 billion this year. On top of that, the paper renounces that 33% of software is considered to be counterfeit.

The IDC paper, for what has a mouthful title: "The Dangerous World of Counterfeit and Pirated Software: How Pirated Software Can Compromise the Cybersecurity of Consumers, Enterprises, and Nations...and the Resultant Costs in Time and Money," has determined that consumers in-all waste about 1.5 billion hours due to their dealings with malware in a given year.

Aside from the obvious exponential growth of malware estimated by various reputable sources, the IDC paper basis its findings off of a 10-country survey comprised of respondents amounting to 1,104 consumers, 973 business users and 268 CIO/IT managers. The controlled ratio of respondents in the survey allows a focused study to relinquish numbers close to real-world environments as a whole.

The highlights within the report spill some interesting details about pirated software such as the fact that 78% of it has some form of spyware attached and 45% of the users affected with such software had to uninstall the pirated software mainly due to diminished computer performance. For those users who took the risk of visiting sites for stolen activation keys, about 36% of them had a high risk of obtaining a Trojan horse or adware infection. In all, it was estimated in the ICD report that users spent upwards of $22 billion to deal with issues related to counterfeit software, including data recovery, identity theft, repair, etc.

It is obvious and inevitable of security risks computer users face when it comes to counterfeit software. The underlying reason for Microsoft pushing out the ICD report was to quantify the risks and help users, including business and enterprise end users, become aware of the growing risks and take proactive ways to prevent issues from showing their ugly face in the light of ceasing productivity.

Over the course of over 7 years, Microsoft has paved major paths to combat piracy. In many cases, they have sued resellers for selling pirated software and have not ceased on their efforts despite some opposition from end users. In the end, the fight against piracy has a larger perspective than just a monetary value on companies like Microsoft, the scope expands to help slow down the spread of malware-laced counterfeit software.

1 Comment

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