Hackers set sights on pirate software

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Hackers are targeting users of pirate software as a means to spread viruses, according to experts.

The warning comes just days after findings from the Business Software Alliance that claimed that around a third of organisation's computers run unlicensed software.

Research from the body found that 35 per cent of computers run at least one illegal program, with computer users in China and Russia the worst offenders with over 80 per cent of computers running pirated software.

According to Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, pirated software can leave business networks open to attack as criminals are provided with additional means to infect computers.

"It's not enough to make sure that all PCs are running legitimate copies of Word, businesses must also control what programs their employees are downloading, installing and running," he said.

He said that patching against software vulnerabilities is important to any good IT security policy, but with pirated software this becomes near impossible.

"Pirated software downloaded from dodgy websites or bought from a man in an alleyway will not come with technical support, and may even be virus infected," he said.

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