Another IDC study presented by BSA shows a connected between unlicensed or counterfeit software and malware. In Romania, at a rate of unlicensed software usage of 62%, the rate of malware stood at 30.79% at the end of last year, compared to 27.5% in September 2013.
Worldwide, at a 43% unlicensed software usage rate, the rate of malware-infected PCs reached 21.58% at the end of 2013, up 1.3 percentage points from September 2013.
IDC estimates companies in Central and Eastern Europe could spend $19 billion this year to fix the consequences of malware infections that come with unlicensed software, while unauthorized leaks of business and confidential data could cost companies in the region $39 billion.
According to BSA data, presented during a joint press conference with the General Police Inspectorate, in January-August there have been 400 actions fighting copyright related crime. Authorities found over 200 cases of pirated software and confiscated over 1,000 IT systems and storage devices.
BSA is a non-profit organization promoting the interests of the software industry and its partners in the hardware industry.