Microsoft Finds Pirated Windows on Too Many New Computers

[nir]

Company also discovers malware and coin miners on these PCs

Microsoft has conducted its own investigation on the Asian new PC market, only to discover an insane number of computers sold with a pirated Windows license.

As reported by The Economic Times, Microsoft purchased PCs between May and July from Asian markets in an attempt to determine how many of them are shipped with counterfeit Windows licenses and malware pre-installed.

The results are concerning, to say the least, as 100 percent of the systems that were acquired in South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand came with pirated software. Furthermore, 91 percent of the Windows licenses on Indian PCs were not genuine. Indonesia is next with 90 percent.

Overall, no less than 83 percent of all computers that the software giant purchased from Asian markets were pre-loaded with unlicensed Windows, the report adds. The Philippines was the country with the lowest rate of pirated Windows on new computers – 43 percent.

Malware also find on these PCs

Microsoft also discovered malware on the majority of computers, as well as coin miners that were supposed to generate revenues for certain parties without users knowing about it.

“Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their techniques to evade security measures and embedding their malware into pirated software is one of their tactics as it allows them to compromise large numbers of personal computers and access the amount of stolen credentials with ease,” Mary Jo Schrade, Assistant General Counsel and Regional Director of Digital Crimes Unit in Asia at the Microsoft in Singapore, told the source.

“When vendors sell pirated software containing malware in their personal computers, they are not only fueling the spread of malware in the region but are also putting their customers' personal information and digital identity at the mercy of cybercriminals.”

Microsoft hasn’t revealed whether it plans any legal action against retailers selling pirated copies of Windows on new computers, but it’s likely that the company considers such an option given its past actions in similar cases.

Source

[steven36]

Fake news  

 

Softpedia 's  source didn't talk about pirated windows .. it said  that Microsoft found pirated software on computers they bought  it didn't say what kinds. pirated software covers a lot of ground  besides windows.  Why does Microsoft even need to buy  computers ? They make there own.

 

Quote

Nine Asian countries, including India, have a high-level of pirated software loaded on personal computers.

Full story here

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/software/microsoft-tests-show-91-new-pcs-from-india-loaded-with-pirated-software/articleshow/66475487.cms

 

 

[steven36]

Here  is the post  from Microsoft

 

Quote

 

SINGAPORE, 30 OCTOBER 2018 – A Microsoft sweep of PC test purchasing revealed that more than four in five (83%) brand new PCs in targeted countries in Asia are loaded with pirated software. The PC samples selected were purchased from retailers that offered PCs at much lower cost and free software bundles to lure customers. In many cases, these retailers also sold pirated software at their store.

 

Aimed to educate consumers and owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region, Microsoft’s Asia PC Test Purchase Sweep provides insights on the extensive prevalence of new PCs loaded with pirated software and the risks that they can pose to individuals and businesses.

 

“Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their techniques to evade security measures, and embedding their malware into pirated software is one of their tactics as it allows them to compromise large numbers of PCs and access vast amount of stolen credentials with ease,” said Mary Jo Schrade, Assistant General Counsel & Regional Director, Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft Asia.

 

“When vendors sell pirated software containing malware in their PCs, they are not only fuelling the spread of malware in the region but are also putting their customers’ personal information and digital identity at the mercy of cybercriminals,” added Mary Jo.

 

The Risks of Using Pirated Software

The sweep found that one of the most common practices for vendors installing pirated software on new PCs is to turn off the security features, such as anti-virus software and Windows Defender as doing this allows them to run the hack-tools needed to activate the pirated software. However, this leaves PCs vulnerable to malware and other cyberthreats, and the buyers of these PCs may not even realise that their PC is not being protected.

 

The sweep also uncovered that 84% of the new PCs loaded with pirated software were infected with some type of malware, with the most common malware being

• Trojans are a type of malware that is employed by cybercriminals to gain remote access and control of devices, allowing them to spy on the users and steal private data. While Trojans typically depend on some form of social engineering to trick users into loading and executing them, bundling them with pirated software makes it easier for cybercriminals to compromise and control PCs.
• Viruses are another type of malware which can cause infected computers to do a variety of things which are not beneficial to the PC owner, such as terminating devices’ security features, sending spam messages, and contacting remote hosts to download additional malware.

These findings are particularly concerning as customers buy PCs that offer special deals which are cheap and come with free software, not realising the risks they may be exposing themselves to. In most cases, they may not even realise that the security features of their PCs are turned off and may fail to spot suspicious activities on their devices. Many of these infected PCs’ users are highly susceptible to data loss, including personal documents and sensitive information such as passwords and banking details, as well as identity theft where they lose control of their social media and email accounts. Users might also experience compromised PC performance as malware, running in the background, can slow down devices.

 

All these factors can lead to consumers and businesses chalking up significant monetary, time and productivity losses as they work to resolve the issues.

 

Associate Professor Biplab Sikdar, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS), Faculty of Engineering, who led a team of researchers to study the dangers of downloading and using pirated software last year, said: “Users usually turn to pirated software as they are cheaper. The truth is that the financial costs and risks of using pirated software are often steeper than they can imagine.”

 

“Users need to be more vigilant when purchasing new PCs and should never fall for a bargain that appears too good to be true. The short-term cost savings are insignificant compared to the irrevocable loss of their digital identity and personal data,” shared Associate Professor Sikdar.

 

Key Cyber-Hygiene Practices for Individuals and SMEs 

“Using genuine software is the first line of defence against cybercriminals,” said Mary Jo.

 

The most fundamental step that users can take to safeguard themselves digitally is to always insist on buying PCs from established retailers and not ones that also sell pirated software, and ensuring they are getting genuine software. Consumers should refer to software vendors’ websites to learn how they can distinguish between genuine and pirated software.

 

Besides using genuine software, people can also consider and adhere to the following recommendations to better protect themselves:

• Keep software current with the latest security patches, which are always free.
• Follow safe Internet practices and do not visit potentially dangerous websites, such as those that offer adult content, illegal downloads, and pirated software, as well as file sharing portals.
• Avoid using very old software which has reached its end of life and is no longer supported by the software vendor for updates and security patches.

---

About the Microsoft Asia Test Purchase Sweep

The Asia PC Test Purchase Sweep examined a total of 166 new PCs from 9 markets across Asia – India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

 

https://news.microsoft.com/en-sg/2018/10/30/microsoft-pc-test-purchase-sweep-more-than-80-of-pirated-software-loaded-new-pcs-in-asia-are-infected-with-malware/

 

PDF

https://news.microsoft.com/uploads/prod/sites/43/2018/10/Pirated-Software-Costing-You-More-Than-You-Bargained-For.pdf

[BimBamSmash]

Regarding pirated windows licenses in general, and not necessary the topic in this thread:

The day they can actually identify counterfeit licenses, a more "insane number" of machines will lose their activation status. It should make enough a buzz for all to know.

Since nothing like that is currently happening I doubt they still have the necessary measures in place to detect them. Or perhaps they do and they are keeping countermeasures for after 2023 when downgrades bear no fruit. The more people on Windows 10 now, the more beta testers and personal data at their disposal. Shouldn't hurt.

[steven36]

6 hours ago, BimBamSmash said:

Regarding pirated windows licenses in general, and not necessary the topic in this thread:

The day they can actually identify counterfeit licenses, a more "insane number" of machines will lose their activation status. It should make enough a buzz for all to know.

Since nothing like that is currently happening I doubt they still have the necessary measures in place to detect them. Or perhaps they do and they are keeping countermeasures for after 2023 when downgrades bear no fruit. The more people on Windows 10 now, the more beta testers and personal data at their disposal. Shouldn't hurt.

Microsoft said  most everyone in Asia that  is buying  new  pcs that are infected  with malware because they have pirated software on them  .  They are makeing everyone look bad from Asia . For now  they have Windows 10 consumers locked down as beta testers Home, Pro, and Pro for Workstation editions  it's mandatory the upgrade versions of Windows 10 every 18 mths  but home users  have a clause in there contract  Home edition does not support the deferral of feature updates and will therefore typically receive a new version of Windows 10 prior to the end-of-service date shown. Witch is once in the spring and once in the Fall .

 

Most likely if they ever start nuking windows activation it will be Enterprise versions were there moving to the pay by the month system. There is not enough people on Windows 8.1 for them to even care what happens in 2023  were your wrong is you think Microsoft really cares what pirates who use old hardware use,  they don't really want you using there stuff at all just ask there former CEO about it .  If Microsoft is forced to change because of new privacy laws that are on the table in the USA and passed in the EU already and people complaining about how there getting shited on with upgrades they can simply fix it were insider versions expire  as soon as a new one comes out . Anytime they want they can change things as long as they give users a years notice.

[KXR75]

They maybe using this one of many sh!tivator.

 

[DKT27]

People can barely afford the hardware, not sure if they can afford the software too there.

 

Those who can afford both should buy them though.