A recent announcement from the software giant Microsoft sets out to dispel what they believe is a common myth, that software piracy is a victimless crime.

They point to a survey which was published at the end of 2009 by the Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) and which showed that most people think that: a) the counterfeit software business to be harmless; and b) as no-one gets hurt, it can’t be viewed as being unethical.

Microsoft believe that these commonly held views are wrong and in an attempt to try and right the impressions out there, and to help people know what to look for when buying legitimate software and thereby avoiding counterfeit versions, they have created five myths of software piracy.

Myth One. What’s the problem, afterall, software piracy isn’t a serious crime, is it?

Yes it is. Microsoft highlight the fact that police throughout the world have apprehended criminals setting up their own plants to first create illegal copies of the software and then distribute it via sophisticated criminal networks, mostly in poorer countries with few intellectual property laws. In other words, it’s big business.

And the huge profits involved go straight back to organised crime gangs and syndicates. Microsoft give an example of co-operation between themselves and the Chinese authorities in 2007 which saw a Chinese-based gang in the dock after they had been caught running a counterfeiting operation which was estimated to have distributed some $2 billion worth of counterfeit software to 36 countries across five continents. Eleven members of the gang were put behind bars for an average of six years.

Myth Two. This sort of software piracy doesn’t hurt anyone, does it? Well, yes it does, mainly because counterfeit software pedalled by criminals not only leaves computer users vulnerable to external virus attack, but the counterfeit software can actually contain malicious code already in-built. And these malicious code implants are creating large-scale botnets which together are used to distribute, unknowingly to the user, vast quantities of email spam.

Microsoft point to information from a German anti-piracy solutions company which discovered that following downloading a huge number of pirated copies of Windows software, over 30% of them were found to contain malicious code.

Myth Three. It’s all a matter of cost. You can get pirated software far cheaper than the genuine article. Wrong. It’s an ironic fact that counterfeit software is often sold at the market price, in other words, the same as the genuine article and in some cases, more than the genuine software.

Even if it can be bought at a lower price point, people don’t really think about the cost of recovering from a virus. Some estimates suggest that for a home user, the cost of suffering a virus attack can quickly add up to over a thousand dollars, even discounting the fact that some cybercriminal may have used malicious code to syphon a persons’ bank account dry. And if you extrapolate that cost across a company, the cost of using pirated software could run into the tens of thousands.

Myth Four. That most people who buy counterfeit software are fully aware that the product is a fake and what they are most looking for, is a good deal. Not so say Microsoft.

The sad truth is that most people buying counterfeit software have no idea that they are being conned. And they are in effect the subject of a fraud. And it’s not so easy these days to spot a fake, so Microsoft have put together some buying tips for consumers.

First and foremost is the question, are you buying from a reputable outlet, be it online, or offline? A traditional shop can be a little easier to scope out (main high-street retailers would be in serious trouble if they were selling counterfeit goods), but when it comes to online resellers, it’s a little harder. So ask around, see who can be trusted and who might sound too good to be true. And when you’re buying from a reseller, Microsoft provides some handy pointers.

Ask yourself if your reseller can confirm that their software would pass a Windows Genuine Advantage online validation test. Furthermore, is a Certificate of Authenticity included. And, along the same lines as the previous point, is a hologram CD, or DVD included. Indeed, is recovery media included. A dead give away of course, say Microsoft, is the state of the packaging. Does it look of a high quality and is the supporting documentation of high quality as well. Finally, have a look to see if an End-User License Agreement is included.

Final myth, number five, is that obviously software piracy is so rampant, that nothing can be done and consumers can’t really do anything to stop it. Wrong. Microsoft, the same as many other software developers, rely on the goodwill and co-operation of many of its customers to help spot fraudulent copies of its various applications. In fact, there have been thousands of enforcement actions actually based on tip-offs from customer and other bodies. The point being that anyone who has been tricked into buying fake software, is a very unhappy person indeed and are more than happy to make the feelings felt.

So there you are – keep in mind those five myths and remember, be careful out there.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Antivirus PC software

Attracting bugs, viruses, hackers and spam is all part and parcel of using a PC on the internet but there are a few things you can do to stave off all of these unwanted pests. Using the best antivirus systems is the only way to ensure you don’t suffer from any time consuming and expensive problems and you can purchase such brilliance online.

It is nearly impossible to use the internet and not fall foul of some sort of problem whether it be a spyware system that tracks which websites you visit or a phishing scam that takes all of your personal information. With PC protection software the risks of viruses and infections that live solely to obliterate your hard drive will be eliminated and purchasing such software is not tricky.

Everyone can and everyone should! From businesses through to personal users who only use their PC for a few hours every week. The more regularly you use a computer the more likely you will pick up a problem. Don’t make the often expensive mistake of thinking you don’t need antivirus software because you rarely surf the internet, because you do! Viruses by nature worm their way into places where they are not welcome and computer bugs are no different. 

If you, like so many of us, use a PC on the internet but you avoid anything that sounds too technical then don’t panic as protecting your PC from viruses is about as simple as it gets. Complete an online search for a company that offers the best antivirus systems. If you are unsure about what you need then use our antivirus comparison table.

Guest Article by Louise Goldstein

Symantec has just announced the worldwide release of Norton Ghost 15.

Symantec, which develop and produce the renowned Norton security suite, claim that the Norton Ghost 15 is one of the industry’s most advanced PC backup and recovery solutions. It is also compatible with Windows 7 and offers 25G and 50G Blu-ray Disc support. What’s more, this latest version introduces a new cold imaging feature that images computers without installing the product. Furthermore, Norton Ghost uses Symantec’s ThreatCon indicator to automatically back up PCs in the event of a severe security threat.

Norton Ghost 15 is pitched as a professional-grade backup solution for both home users and small businesses. Amongst it’s many attributes, lost, or damaged files can be recovered and restored in the event of a system failure, even if the computer’s operating system does not start. Additionally, it provides a backup of an entire system, or specific files, and folders, whilst saving recovery points to offsite locations using FTP.

Dave Cole, senior director of consumer products, Symantec, said:
“Norton Ghost has been the essential imaging and recovery product since 1996. Consumers PCs have never been more central to people’s lives, or more at risk due to cybercrime and critical failures. Ghost 15 not only is a powerful disaster recovery tool, but also it adds important features such as Windows 7 compatibility and Blu-ray Disc support to keep current with the way people are using their computers today.”

Symantec highlights the fact that their Norton Ghost 15 is also supported by Windows 7 Bitlocker. This provides enhanced data protection through drive encryption and integrity checking, keeping stored data safe and protected. They also point out that it works with both 25G and 50G Blu-ray Discs and most storage drives. This includes external hard drives, networked drives and recordable, and rewritable, CDs and DVDs. And the hot backups feature allows users to back up their computers without having to shut it down first.

The cold imaging technology employed by Norton Ghost 15 effectively backs up files without installing the product which, says Symantec, saves time and money. A handy feature is that after purchasing a new computer, users can image the PC immediately before any software is loaded which means that factory settings remain intact. It also allows easy back up of a system by simply booting to the recovery environment (which is a light version of the Windows operating system) from the Norton Ghost CD, and then initiating a backup.

Guest Article by Neil Camp 

With little fanfare, Microsoft has released Service Pack 2 for updating its Windows Vista operating system. As with the previous service pack, it contained many bug fixes and will help security for users both on corporate networks and at home.

As well as bug fixes, it also contained a number of refinements to the advanced operating system.

Although many of the refinements have been designed with large corporate users in mind, they will make a difference to many home users as well.

Two of the key changes are the updated Windows Search 4.0 and Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless programmes.

Windows Search 4.0 updates include improvements to hep users index and find files on their machines, and Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless updates offer upgraded Wi-Fi and Bluetooth components for wireless networking.

But with more bugs being fixed, it should prevent a number of malicious attacks and generally make the operating system more secure.

Those users who have not automatically received the Vista Service Pack 2, should go to the Microsoft website to update their operating system.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Major software offerings from Microsoft and Google have this week drawn criticism from industry experts for major security flaws.

Close on the heels of Microsoft’s none too well received operating system Windows Vista, is Windows 7 which has been tested by the public in its “release candidate form.” Versions can be downloaded by the general public and tested.

Although the initial reaction has been good, seeing it as an improvement on the cumbersome Vista, there are worries that it contains an inherent security flaw.

Windows 7 was slated in for a release date of January 2010, but it might be earlier, with Microsoft saying that they are ahead of schedule. Generally, Vista was a disappointment, standing accused of being like a sieve when it came to security (requiring constant updates) and slowing down performance times. Windows 7 appears to solve a lot of those problems and features quicker response times, a new task bar, a touch-screen capability and an ability to stream media files (including music) from one computer to another via the internet.

But the question of computer security has reared its ugly head again with some suggesting that there is a major flaw in Windows Explorer (the heart of the operating system’s file management system) which allows other users to be attacked by hackers.

And what worries the experts is that this major flaw is not new, but existed in previous versions of Windows Explorer. And the irony is not lost on many, after Microsoft has sworn themselves to a “trust vision” to make security in their products a major preoccupation.

And Google’s all-singing, all dancing new browser has shown to be a little flaky. Chrome is liked by many, but Google has had to fix quite a few security holes, which then led to a problem with crashed computers. Chrome version 1.0.154.64 was released recently to put right two major security problems. The first concerned an ability for a hacker to run attack software that had the same priviledge as the primary user. The second problem centred on the 2D graphics which could have created an opening for attack software to be infiltrated into the browser’s security system.

But when the new version was released, having fixed the two security problems, it caused a few crashes, so a new version quickly followed.

Guest Article by Neil Camp