Pirated Software – Host for Malware Threats, BSA

Security firm Business Software Alliance (BSA) warned the Internet users to be excessively cautious while purchasing software at a discounted rate or while downloading free-of-cost software from some unknown website.

BSA, in its report "Online Software Scams: A Threat to Your Personal Security", has addressed the mounting scope of Internet piracy, its relation with the identity theft and various other types of Internet crimes such as malware and virus infections.

As per the report, consumers might be very relieved on buying free or discounted software from any unidentified website, but there are always high chances that they might have received an inferior product that have been compromised. Such software can include the concealed Internet threats, which may lead to the incidents like identity theft and may rob the users of enormous amounts.

Moreover, the auction sites like eBay are reported of selling 50% to 90% pirated copies or illegal products. These products are frequently tampered with malware or other sorts of malicious codes.

Security experts revealed that the increasing level of botnets clearly indicates towards the merger of the two major illegal businesses of cyber crime and software piracy. Additionally, botnets not only contribute to the software piracy, but are also among the most dreadful outcomes of software piracy.

Cyber crooks and their associates, dubbed as "bot herders", attach the malevolent codes to the pirated software through several techniques like e-mail spam. The malware and botnets, in turn, infest the users' PCs, converting them into "zombies", which are controlled by a remote hacker. zombie is then tied up with a botnet and can be exploited randomly by the criminals to shape various unlawful activities such as visiting the host file to perform various illicit files for carrying out further piracy.

Tarun Sawney, Director, Anti-piracy for Asia, BSA, stated that the rapid rise in the broadband subscribers in Asia has resulted into a significant growth in illegal Peer-to-Peer software downloading, as reported by Vietnamnet on December 3, 2008.

Users are recommended to purchase the software only from authentic and reliable sources. Moreover, they should go for the free software only from the legitimate publishers. Users should be particularly cautious about the fake-appearing products.

» SPAMfighter News - 10-12-2008

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