I understand that sharing video, photos, documents etc. is relatively safe because the data is not executed in the processor as instructions. How come people are willing to download and install pirated software though? How can one be confident that it does not contain malicious addons? Are people just don’t know the risks? Or are there protection mechanisms that I am missing? I mean since the software is usually cracked there is not much use in comparing checksums with the originals, is it?
Worth noting that paying for a license for software doesn’t stop it being spying malware either. In fact the pirate versions often take out the spying and the reporting-to-homebase that proprietary software does.
The photoshop that phones home to check a license is arguably more malicious than the pirate version that has been cracked so it doesn’t do that.
Good and valid point. I use opensource software wherever I can.
Though paid software is not going to encrypt your data for ransom or use a keylogger to steal bitcoin (yet).
There was an antivirus that was caught running a bitcoin miner in the background tbf. If memory serves it was Norton?
Long story short.
- Be prepared for disaster.
- Scan it. Sandbox it if concerned.
- Firewall inspect/block/allow every outbound comm.
- Get it from a trusted source.
Basically the same stuff you should be doing with all software.
Edit for firewall clarification.
It’s one of those high-risk, high-returns case scenarios. You gamble. If you succeed, you will be saving some buck. Some software licences can be very, very expensive.
There is no way of knowing the answer to your questions. You just use your intuition and take a leap of faith.
Some software licences can be very, very expensive.
When I was in art school in the early 2000’s, I worked with computer controlled weaving looms. The program for drafting patterns and running the AVL Compu Dobby on the loom was free to download. In order to use it, though, you had to have a $3000 usb key.
That must hurt
The part that hurt was the ancient Mac II that ran the loom. When I encountered the Y2K bug on it, some upperclassmen said, “Oh we’ve just been turning the clock back a year.” Turned it back as far as it would go…1969
