Survey finds alarming rate of unlicensed software use here despite link to attacks
COMPUTER users in Thailand are still using unlicensed software at an alarming rate, despite the link between unlicensed software and cyberattacks, according to the 2015 Global Software Survey from BSA The Software Alliance.
The survey “Seizing Opportunity Through Licence Compliance”, released yesterday globally found that in Thailand, 69 per cent of software installed on computers was not properly licensed. This represents a two-point decrease compared with the BSA’s previous study in 2013.
This rate of access has been influenced in part by important trends underway in Thailand. The overall market for personal computers dropped for both commercial users and consumers but the consumer share of the installed base went up. There was some downward impact from the “consumer effect” on the unlicensed rate, but more of the drop related to increased software copyright enforcement.
“As the report underscores, it is critically important for a company to be aware of what software is on the company network,” said BSA The Software Alliance president and CEO Victoria A 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.
This is due to the strong connection between cyberattacks and the use of unlicensed software. Where unlicensed software is in use, the likelihood of encountering malware dramatically goes up. And the cost of dealing with malware incidents can be staggering. In 2015 alone, for example, cyberattacks cost businesses over US$400 billion.
Among the other findings:
l 39 per cent of software installed on computers around the world in 2015 was not properly licensed, representing only a modest decrease from 43 per cent in BSA’s previous global study in 2013.
l Even in certain critical industries, unlicensed use was surprisingly high. The survey found the worldwide rate is 25 per cent for the banking, insurance and securities industries.
l CIOs estimate that 15 per cent of their employees load software on the network without their knowledge. But they are significantly underestimating the problem; nearly double that amount – 26 per cent of employees – say they are loading unauthorised software on the network.
Despite these numbers, the findings show a keen awareness of the problem:
l Chief Information Officers (CIOs) said their highest concern was loss of data associated with such a security incident.
l CIOs also said that avoiding security threats is a critical reason for ensuring the software running in their networks is legitimate and fully licensed.
l In the broader survey of employees, 60 per cent cited the security risk associated with unlicensed software as a critical reason to use legitimate, fully licensed software.
The report adds that companies can mitigate the cybersecurity risks of unlicensed software by ensuring all software is purchased from legitimate sources and establishing an in-house software asset management (SAM) programme. Organisations that effectively deploy SAM will know what’s on their network, and whether it is legitimate and licensed; will optimise their use of software by deploying software that’s the best fit for their businesses; will have policies and procedures in place that govern procurement, deployment, and retirement of software; and will have integrated SAM fully into their business.
Highlights in this year’s survey, by region, include:
l The region with the highest overall rate of unlicensed software was Asia-Pacific at 61 per cent, a one-point decline compared with BSA’s previous survey in 2013.
l The next-highest unlicensed software rate was in Central and Eastern Europe with 58 per cent (falling three points from the rate registered in 2013), and then the Middle East-Africa at 57 per cent (dropping two points since 2013).
l North America continues to have the lowest regional rate at 17 per cent, although this constitutes a significant commercial value of $10 billion.
l In Western Europe the overall rate dropped one point to 28 per cent.
