Study: 59 pct of software in Romania not licensed properly

The use of unlicensed software is still very high in Romania and that is a risk of cyberattacks. According to a BSA study (The Software Allince, 2018 Global Survey), Romanian companies should evaluate what software use on their network and eliminate unlicensed programs in order to reduce the risk of cyberattacks and boost growth.

The study shows that in Romania 59 percent of software installed on computers is not licensed properly. This figure represents a 1 percentage point decrease in the unlicensed software usage rate, compared with the previous BSA study published in 2016.

Throughout the world, organizations use software to improve how they do business, increase profits, reach new markets, and gain competitive advantages. But, as the information technology executives say, and as detailed study analysis confirms, if the software is not properly licensed, organizations face a significant risk of falling victim to security threats that often lead to affecting your business.

To better understand the implications of using unauthorized software, BSA launched the 2018 Global Software Survey: Software Management: Security Imperative, Business Opportunity. The study measures the volume and value of unauthorized software installed on personal computers in more than 110 countries and regions and includes nearly 23,000 responses from consumers, employees and IT managers.

“Organizations around the world do not benefit from the economic and security benefits of well-managed software,” said Victoria Espinel, BSA president and CEO | The Software Alliance. “Companies should apply software management software (SAM) to evaluate and manage software on their networks. This, in turn, helps organizations reduce the risk of cyber attacks that can affect their business and contribute to increase revenue.”

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The key elements of the study include:

• The use of unlicensed software, although in a downward trend, is still widespread. Unlicensed software continues to be used around the globe at alarming rates, accounting for 37 percent of software installed on computers – a drop of just 2 percentage points from 2016.
• Information technology directors indicate that unlicensed software is becoming more and more risky and expensive. Malware related to unlicensed software costs companies around the world nearly USD 359 billion a year. Information Technology executives believe that avoiding hacking attacks against data and other malware security threats is the main reason to ensure that software on their networks is fully licensed.
• Increasing the level of compliance with software licensing conditions is now an economic growth factor, in addition to being a security imperative. When companies adopt pragmatic measures to improve their software management, they can increase their profits by up to 11 percent.
• Organizations can now take significant steps to improve software management. Studies show that organizations can achieve up to 30% savings in annual software costs by deploying a robust software resource management and software licensing program for computer programs.

Through in-depth analysis, the study shows that organizations can implement effective measures, including SAM programs, to improve the way they manage software, increasing their profits, reducing security risks and increasing opportunities.