70% of PCs running with fake OS are infected with malware threats

CEBU, Philippines - A recent forensic study from Microsoft revealed that nearly 7 in 10 computers with running counterfeit software in Southeast Asia are infected with dangerous malware threats and found that several well-known PC brands were among those affected.

Originally conducting a research in December 2012, Microsoft’s Security Forensics team examined 282 computers with pirated software installed and counterfeit software DVDs sourced from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

The team discovered an average malware infection rate of 69 percent among the samples which is six points higher than the preliminary study.

The findings further revealed pirated copies of Windows embedded with malware spread across famous PC brands that include Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung.

Microsoft Intellectual Property for Asia Pacific and Japan director Keshav Dhakad said that it has been the notion of users that buying a name-brand PC guarantees a good and safe computing experience without assessing the software sold with the computer.

He added that pirated software could not just be resolved by simply running an anti-virus software contrary to popular belief.

“But consumers need to beware. If they can’t verify that the computer they purchased was shipped with a pre-installed, genuine copy of Windows, their risk of exposure to viruses and spyware and the potential for data corruption, theft, and financial loss increases exponentially,” he said.

The company believed that the counterfeit images or malware did not originate from or were installed by individual PC manufacturers.

Instead, Microsoft cited that the computers were likely shipped with non-Windows operating systems, which were later replaced by individuals in the downstream supply chain or retail channel who deal in the illegal duplication and distribution of pirated software.

Overall, the study revealed 5,601 instances and 1,131 unique strains of malware and virus infections in its Southeast Asia sample including the highly dangerous “Zeus” trojan.

Zeus is a password-stealing trojan known to use “keylogging” and other mechanisms to monitor people’s online activity and steal personal information such as account usernames and passwords.

Also, the Microsoft testing showed varied results of infection rates of pirated software across Southeast Asia.

With malware threat found at 42%, two out of every five computers and DVDs tested in the Philippines was infected.

While Vietnam posted an infection rate of 66% on pirated DVDs and 92% on the hard drives tested.

To keep information safe from cybercriminals, Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team president Lito Averia reminded users to think twice about where to buy computers

“It’s important to remember that if you don’t know where your digital products come from, you never know what unwanted and dangerous nemeses come along for the ride,” he added.

Atty. Ricardo Blancaflor, Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines noted that the Philippines should continue to be vigilant against pirated software that is discouraging local innovation and damaging office operations.

Microsoft then recommended users to always ask for a genuine, pre-installed operating system and ensure all software purchases come in their original packaging.

Consumers are also advised to buy from a trusted reseller and avoid deals that seem “too good to be true.”

They are also encouraged to participate in the fight against piracy and report suspicions of receipt of counterfeit software to Microsoft.

Since 2007, the company has received more than 10,000 piracy reports from within Southeast Asia. (FREEMAN)