Microsoft reports surge in counterfeit software, much of it tainted with viruses

Reports of counterfeit software, much of it tainted with
computer viruses, have doubled during the past two years, according
to Microsoft Corp. The U.S. technology giant held a Consumer Action
Day on Wednesday to highlight risks posed by pirated software and
resources for people vexed by bogus applications. "It is all too
common for software pirates to tamper with genuine code," said David
Finn, Microsoft's head of global anti-piracy enforcement, in an
interview posted on the firm's website. "Why wouldn't a criminal
syndicate that manufactures counterfeit software merely add a few
lines of malicious code in order to compromise the security of your
computer and victimize you a second time by stealing your identity
or personal information?" Criminals often go as far as to duplicate
the packaging of legitimate Microsoft software, Mr. Finn said.