Microsoft’s Software Alliance says 64% of companies in Philippines use unlicensed software

Microsoft-backed Business Software Alliance (BSA) said Wednesday that the majority of companies in the Philippines are using unlicensed software, making them vulnerable to cyberthreats and attacks.

In a statement, BSA said 64% of companies in the Philippines are estimated to be using unlicensed software.

Citing data from its member firms such as IBM and McAfee, BSA noted that cybersecurity threats are exacerbated by the widespread use of unlicensed software in Southeast Asia, which is often packaged with malware or contains security vulnerabilities that leave devices open to attack.

With this, the alliance is offering free consultation on cybersecurity to around 40,000 companies across the Philippines,  Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed how people work, BSA has made cybersecurity our primary focus in the ASEAN region,” BSA senior director Tarun Sawney said.

“With the rise in teleworking via online platforms and the normalization of work-from-home policies, businesses are exposed to higher risks of cyber fraud than ever before, and these online attacks have become more complex and damaging,” Sawney said.

“The ASEAN Safeguard initiative seeks to promote the use of licensed software among businesses, support them throughout the software licensing process, and help them prevent cyber attack damage,” he said.

BSA said it has launched a landing page that displays randomized fact cards which describe the dangers of using unlicensed software.

The landing page is available in English, Thai, Vietnamese, and Bahasa Indonesia, and consultations will be conducted with local BSA representatives using the local language, it said.

“The consultations will begin with an introduction to the program, after which the organization’s representative will be asked to fill in a confidential software inventory survey detailing the software and licenses that are currently installed on their company’s devices,” BSA said.—LDF, GMA News