64% of firms in PHL use illegal software —BSA survey

Six out of 10 companies in the Philippines still use unlicensed software and risk compromising their data privacy, according to BSA The Software Alliance.

The group cited the BSA Global Software Survey in 2018 which revealed that an estimated 64% of corporations in the Philippines use illegal software which may increase the chances of malware attacks.

BSA pointed out that this figure is higher than other countries in Southeast Asia such as Singapore and Malaysia with 27% and 51%, respectively.

It acknowledged the active efforts of the Optical Media Board (OMB) to enforce copyright laws in the software industry but said that the managers of firms in the country must “do better.”

“CEOs need to proactively ensure that their companies are compliant. Also, as CEOs are self-policing their corporations, this will protect their data from malware and hackers, leading to improved productivity and efficient management,” BSA Senior Director Tarun Sawney said in a statement.

Centralizing software purchases to one government agency, disseminating information on the importance of using licensed software for cyber security, and training information technology experts for software license management are among the group’s recommended action points for stakeholders.

Also known as BSA, The Software Alliance is a trade group established by Microsoft Corporation in 1988. It represents a number of the world’s largest software makers and is a member of the International Intellectual Property Alliance. —Dona Magsino/VDS, GMA News