In Croatia, around 50 percent of software installed on personal computers is unlicensed, or just one percentage point down compared to 2016, according to research recently released by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), software industry group advocating for the protection of intellectual property rights.

BSA experts also warned that unlicensed software increases risk of cyber attacks.

“In order to reduce the threat of cyber attacks, Croatian companies should work to update the software used on their systems, and remove all unlicensed software,” the group said. The global survey conducted by the Washington-based BSA was carried out in 110 countries and regions, and included nearly 23,000 answers collected from consumers, employees and IT executives around the world.

“Around the world, years of education and enforcement, and a growing understanding of the benefits of properly managing software assets, have led to a modest decrease in unlicensed software use. From 2015 to 2017, the worldwide unlicensed software rate declined 2 percentage points from 39 percent to 37 percent, and the commercial value of unlicensed software dropped 8 percent in constant currency to $46.3 billion globally. Despite this progress, the majority of software in more than half of the markets surveyed is unlicensed – demonstrating the need for continued progress,” BSA said.

IT executives have warned that unlicensed software is “increasingly risky and expensive.” They also warned against malware, or malicious software, which often targets computers using unlicensed or outdated software.

“Malware from unlicensed software costs companies worldwide nearly $359 billion a year. CIOs report that avoiding data hacks and other security threats from malware is the number one reason for ensuring their networks are fully licensed,” BSA said.

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