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Unlicensed software use still high in Asia-Pacific: survey

Xinhua, May 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Computer users in the Asia-Pacific region use unlicensed software at an alarming rate, despite being well aware of the associated cybersecurity dangers, said a survey released on Wednesday.

According to the Global Software Survey from the Software Alliance (BSA), 39 percent of software installed on computers around the world in 2015 is not properly licensed, representing only a modest decrease from 43 percent in BSA's previous global study in 2013.

In the Asia-Pacific region, 61 percent of software installed on computers in 2015 was unlicensed, while the commercial value of unlicensed software use was valued at 19.1 billion U.S. dollars.

The survey also found that even in certain critical industries, where much tighter control of the digital environment would be expected, unlicensed use was surprisingly high. The survey found the worldwide rate is 25 percent for the banking, insurance and securities industries.

"As the report underscores, it is critically important for a company to be aware of what software is on the company network," said BSA President and CEO Victoria Espinel. "Many CIOs don't know the full extent of software deployed on their systems or if that software is legitimate."

The survey, which canvassed consumers, IT managers and enterprise PC users, reinforces that use of unlicensed software is still high, and that individuals and companies are playing with fire when they use unlicensed software.

"Cybersecurity is a top concern for businesses and organizations everywhere, but there is a disconnect in their attitudes toward the use of unlicensed software," said Tarun Sawney, BSA Senior Director in Asia-Pacific.

A separate report by BSA member company Symantec confirms that cybersecurity threats are on the rise. These attacks are costly, not just in terms of financial cost, but also the potential destructive and debilitating damage done to a company's reputation.

"It is imperative that organizations address these risks and actively adopt policies that mandate the use of legal and licensed software." Endit