Computer users in India are using unlicensed software at an alarming rate, despite the link between unlicensed software and cyber attacks, according to the new Global Software Survey from BSA.
The survey found that in India, the percent of software installed on computers that was not properly licensed was 58%.
This rate of access has been influenced in part by important trends under way in India. The PC market decline hit, but more on the commercial side than the consumer side, where shipments remained flat and the share of the installed base grew 3%.
However, the overall falling shipments, coupled with an increase in the use of free and open source software and lower prices for some paid-for software helped drive a drop in the rate of unlicensed software.
When 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 $400 billion.
Among the other findings:
- 39% of software installed on computers around the world in 2015 was not properly licensed.
- The survey found the worldwide rate is 25% for the banking, insurance and securities industries.
- CIOs estimate that 15% of their employees load software on the network without their knowledge. But they are significantly underestimating the problem; nearly double that amount—26% of employees — say they are loading unauthorized software on the network.
Highlights in this year’s survey, by region, include:
- The region with the highest overall rate of unlicensed software was Asia-Pacific at 61%
- The next-highest unlicensed software rate was in Central and Eastern Europe with 58% (falling three-points from the rate registered in 2013), and then the Middle East-Africa at 57% (dropping two-points since 2013).
- North America continues to have the lowest regional rate at 17%, although this constitutes a significant commercial value of $10 billion.
- In Western Europe the overall rate dropped one point to 28%.
