Do you realize how much malware gets bundled with pirated software? It is where most of it comes from, arguably. This isn't a theory, this is a fact. I've analyzed a considerable amount of it myself in prior jobs. The software appears to be fine, installs fine, but you get a little extra, totally hidden, present along with it. THAT is what piracy is today.-db90h
No. This is what the software publishers would have you believe. Oh, that's right. You are a software publisher, aren't you, db90h? I'm sure you're a nice guy, but you have a dog in this fight so anything you say will be (unintentionally) biased.
Sure, if a person goes to those shady web sites that have catalogs of cracks or if they use most of the peer-to-peer file-sharing programs, sure...they are probably going to be infected, but the educated, savvy pirates know where to go to get software that runs buttery smooth with no performance-robbing DRM and is malware-free.
Every release group (those that bring the pirated software to the masses) does so to build up their rep and street cred among the other release groups, always competing to bring the latest, greatest software the quickest & before their rivals. Sticking a piece of malware in their release would wreck their precious reputations. Sure, an unscrupulous third party could later get ahold of that release and inject some malware, but like I said before....the educated, savvy pirates know where to go to avoid that. The dangerous thing for software publishers is a focused Google search is the only thing keeping people from becoming savvy & educated. Fortunately, what works in the software publishers' favor is laziness. People usually want the quickest, easiest, cheapest methods....so they'll be doomed to virus-filled Kazaa downloads.
I agree otherwise, but BEWARE. Also, don't think your security software can protect you from malware. That crap is regenerated DAILY and the scanners can't keep up. NO, that does not mean you should install multiple security suites, then you just get a really, really slow PC with lots of problems and more false positives than anything.
While I agree that new malware is written every single day & there's no way the security suites can protect against it all immediately, there's almost no chance of 0-day malware infecting any illegal software downloads just because of the way that culture works. The 0-day malware writers want to target the largest pool of victims possible. That's not peer-to-peer users. Sure, that malware may make it into the world of piracy eventually, but it'll be long after even McAfee will be able to detect it & neutralize it.
Sure, there are probably non-malware sources of pirated software - but the laymen user doesn't know. So, I wouldn't EVER condone this practice. Not because it is illegal, but because it is unsafe and spreads malware.
The laymen do spread malware, but fortunately it's the equivalents to Sasser & Blaster. These days I'm far more worried about the malware that comes through PDF exploits & advertising banners on web sites than anything that little Bobby or Suzie download from that cool new peer-to-peer program all the hip kids are using at school.
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