Software Alliance (BSA) Announces Survey Results

The Software Alliance (BSA) announced that despite the high correlation between illegal software and cyber attacks, the illegal software usage rate among computer users in Korea reached 35%.

This result was revealed in the 'BSA Global Software Survey: Seizing Opportunity Through License Compliance' recently published by the Software Alliance, and while it represents a decrease of 3 points compared to the same survey conducted in 2013, it means that a large number of domestic systems are still exposed to cyber attacks.

These figures are influenced by current major trends in Korea. While the overall PC market is shrinking, the increasing proportion of personal PCs relative to enterprise PCs is creating a "consumer effect" that leads to a rise in the use of illegal software. However, as a result of efforts to protect software copyrights over the past few years, the domestic use of illegal software has decreased.



Victoria A. Espinel, BSA Global Chair and CEO Espinel pointed out, “As highlighted in the report, it is very important for companies to understand what software is being used on their networks,” adding, “Many CIOs are unable to determine the full scope or legality of the software installed in their systems.”

This survey, conducted among general consumers, IT administrators, and corporate PC users, highlights that illegal software usage rates remain high while warning of the risks associated with its use within both individuals and enterprises. This is because there is a strong correlation between illegal software and cyberattacks, such as a significantly increased likelihood of malware outbreaks when illegal software is used. The costs involved in resolving incidents caused by malware are also substantial. In 2015 alone, companies spent over $400 billion due to cyberattacks.

In addition, 39% of the software installed on computers worldwide in 2015 was illegal, a slight decrease from 43% in 2013, and the rate of illegal software usage in specific industries where software is important, such as banking, insurance, and securities, recorded a significantly high level of 25% globally.

CIOs estimated that 15% of employees unknowingly use illegal software on the network. However, this underestimated the problem, as the actual percentage of employees who admitted to using illegal software was found to be 26%, approximately double the estimate.

Nevertheless, several survey results demonstrate a keen awareness of the issue. CIOs cited data loss due to security incidents as their biggest concern. Furthermore, it was found that the primary objective of CIOs seeking to establish the use of genuine software within the company is to prevent security-related risks. In a more extensive survey of employees, 60% cited security risks associated with illegal software as the primary reason for using genuine software.

Through this survey, BSA stated that companies can reduce cybersecurity risks caused by illegal software by using genuine software and establishing an in-house software asset management (SAM) program. Companies that have efficiently implemented SAM programs can identify the types and legality of software used on their networks and optimize software usage by installing the software best suited for their business. Furthermore, it is possible to establish policies and procedures for managing software purchase, installation, and expiration, and to fully integrate the program into the business.

The region with the highest average illegal software usage rate was the Asia-Pacific region, recording 61%, a 1-point decrease from the 2013 BSA survey results. The region with the second highest average illegal software usage rate was Central and Eastern Europe, recording 58%, a 3-point decrease from 2013. The Middle East and Africa region followed, recording 57%, a 2-point decrease from the previous survey.

The average illegal software usage rate in North America was recorded at 17%, which is the lowest level when categorized by region, just like in the previous survey. This corresponds to a commercial value of $10 billion. The Western European region fell by 1 point to record 28%.