91% new computers in India run pirated software: SCS Report

A recent survey by Secnic Consultancy Services (SCS) Suggests that over 90% new personal computers in India are run on pirated software. The company purchased new personal computers sold in retail markets across the world to come at this conclusion. Software Piracy was a major concern in as many as 9 Asian countries including India.

The company purchased the computers between May and July this year and then tested them. The test showed that India had 91% of new computers loaded with pirated software, followed by Indonesia at 90%, Taiwan at 73%, Singapore 55%, and Philippines 42%. The worst incidences of software piracy were reported from countries like South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand where it was found that these countries shipped 100% computers with pirated software.

SCS experts tested these computers brought from retail stores in these countries to look for pirated software.

The menace of Software Privacy

Computer retailers in India end up selling personal computers with pirated software to save cost and make extra margins. These cost benefits are a reason why most consumers in India opt for pirated software. What is often ignored is the fact that the installation of pirated software not only compromises the performance of the machine but also comes with potential security threats. What consumers fail to understand is that free software is not really free when you look at these associated costs from a performance and security perspective.

Installing and using pirated software can expose you to the risk of malwares. These malwares often run on stealth mode and steal sensitive information such as personal, family pictures, and banking data. Embedding malware in pirated software is the most common tactic followed by cybercriminals.

Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their modus operandi to evade security agencies. By using pirated software, consumers are creating a vulnerability for cyber criminals to use against them and thereby compromising the security of their data. The vendors selling pirated software are pre-installing such malware in the software CDs in collusion with cyber criminals.

Say NO to Software Privacy.

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