A new study has revealed that many small and medium-sized businesses may be tempted to use pirated software to save money. But beware – using illegal software can have serious consequences for your business. It’s not worth the risk. We recommend finding legitimate and cost-effective alternatives instead.
Currently, the most commonly pirated types of software are project management and marketing and sales tools. However, a significant 56% of business owners indicated that they would even consider using illegal cyber security software to save money. This highlights the widespread temptation to use pirated software, despite the potential risks and legal consequences.
In addition to being unsupported, pirated software can also create larger problems for businesses. If an issue arises with the software, there will be no help available to fix it. Furthermore, using pirated software can expose a business to other risks and potential legal consequences. It is important to avoid using pirated software and instead find legal and supported alternatives.
It’s common for cyber criminals to use pirated software to distribute malware. Some of this is designed to evade firewalls, which means once installed, it can spread malicious files beyond your device to your entire network. That can lead to your sensitive data being compromised or stolen.
The cost of putting things right after this kind of cyber attack can end up costing a fortune, and the pirated software can damage your devices by causing them to slow down or overheat.
We advise our clients to always use genuine software from a reputable source. If the cost of the software seems too good to be true… it probably is.
There are additional steps that can be taken to protect a business from the risks of pirated software. Managing admin rights properly can prevent unauthorized employees from downloading harmful software. Additionally, providing regular cyber security awareness training to the whole team can make everyone aware of the potential risks to business data and help prevent unauthorized use of pirated software.
If you’d like help finding genuine software for your business, or creating a cyber security plan, just get in touch.
Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.
info@balliante.com