Consequences & Risks of using Pirated & Counterfeit Software

The pirated software market is huge and consumers easily fall into the trap of getting “real” software at a very low price, which helps them do their job. But in the process of adopting pirated software, consumers are threatened with privacy intrusion, loss of sensitive data, substantial financial and cost losses and a great waste of time trying to solve problems. of the system.

Illegal software is one of the unfortunate staples of the Internet, and it will not go away any time soon. Now, while that may be a good thing when illegally downloading Windows 10 software, it really isn’t. No amount of savings can protect you from the potential problems faced by illegal software.

Consequences of using pirated software

Pirated software can be a huge problem for your computer, but also for yourself. If you are the type of person to save private information on your computer, we suggest that you stay away from these types of tools, whatever the temptation.

You see, trying to avoid paying for software could cost you more than what you refused to pay, and that would be ironic, right?

Reasons why you should not download illegal software

1. It’s just not morally right
2. No support
3. No new updates
4. Probability of malware infection
5. You don’t support developers
6. Possibility of legal action.

1]It’s not good

Not everyone knows the law regarding the acquisition of illegal software. Depending on the country you live in, you could face jail time or pay a huge fine if you get caught with pirated software in your possession.

Nowadays, many software developers add some tools to their work to determine if people have paid for the privilege. Without a valid license, people could therefore face the full force of the law in the respective countries.

2]No support

This may not be a huge problem as it is almost impossible not to find free help available on the web for popular tools. Still, there are situations where only the developer can fix it, and if you don’t have a license key, you’re out of luck.

3]No new updates

One of the biggest problems with illegally obtained software is that for many, the update process is not active. A license key is usually required for the software to automatically connect and download updates.

With a problem like this, the user will be forced to re-download a new version of the pirated software with each update. They will have to go through the same tiring process to allow it to function smoothly without hiccups.

4]Viruses and malware

Let’s be honest here. Software downloaded from pirate websites is usually infected with some form of virus or malware. Over the years, many Windows operating system users have seen their computers rendered useless due to these activities.

Yes, Windows 10 is more secure than ever with Windows Defender. However, the antivirus and anti-malware tools are not perfect. There will come a time when something will fall through the cracks, and you can only hope that it is not ransomware.

5]You don’t support developers

In a way, you are stealing the product. Software creators put a lot of effort into their work. Therefore, if you really want to take advantage of what they have created, pay for it like any honest internet citizen. If you don’t know if the tool is worth using, why not use the trial version? In many cases, a trial is available. For cases where this is not the case, read several reviews on the web to reach a complete consensus.

6]Possibility of legal action

If you are found to be using illegal or stolen software, you could open yourself up to legal action and that is something you certainly do not want.

Microsoft had done a little experiment a few years ago where it went to the local markets of Melbourne to buy counterfeit Windows and Office software from four different sellers. These pirated discs were then put to the test, the results of which were worrying.

Five of the six Microsoft Office disks were infected with malware while six of the twelve Windows disks were disks (could not be installed and executed). Of the other six discs that can be successfully run and tested, the following has been observed:

• Two were infected with malware;
• Windows Update has been disabled on all six copies;
• Windows Firewall rules have been changed on all six copies.

Of the total of twelve copies of counterfeit software that could be successfully installed (six Office and six Windows) and tested, the following claims were confirmed:

• Seven copies (58%) were infected with malware
• A total of 20 instances of six different types of malware were found.

This means serious problems for users who work unsuspectingly on such counterfeit Microsoft software, especially when dealing with confidential information such as financial statements, sensitive passwords, and personal multimedia et al.

Lily: What is the Microsoft compliance program.

These results were supported by an IDC study done at the time on the dangers of counterfeit software, commissioned by Microsoft, which found that:

• One in three consumer computers equipped with counterfeit software will be infected with malware;
• Consumers around the world will lose $ 22 billion and 1.5 billion hours to solve problems, such as data recovery and identity theft as a result;
• 26% of consumers who have installed counterfeit software have seen their PC infected with a virus;
• 78% of counterfeit software downloaded from pirate websites or P2P networks has installed tracking cookies or spyware.

Counterfeit pirated software can be cheaper or even free, but it’s not worth the risk of using it!

Click here to find out how to tell if Microsoft Windows software is genuine and to report counterfeit software.

Post 2013 updated in 2020