Posted by Virus Bulletin on Dec 14, 2010
Wildly popular free solution not good enough for some.
Leading provider of free anti-malware products Avast Software has spotted that a single 14-user licence key, issued last summer to a customer in Arizona, is being used by over three quarters of a million pirates, who got hold of the key code after it made its way onto warez sites. The unrighteous users have been spotted in over 200 countries, including the Vatican.
Avast's business model makes its main solution free for home use and relies on business users and people upgrading to premium editions for funding. Nevertheless, it seems that the free edition - which features the majority of the modules included in the paid-for versions - is not enough for some. Commenting on the story, Avast CEO Vince Steckler noted the paradox of users searching for free and cracked security solutions, when cracked and 'unlocked' software sites are often among the most malware-riddled of places.
Avast recently announced hitting 130 millon users worldwide, so this minor piece of licence infringment shouldn't be too damaging - more details are on the company website here.
Posted on 14 December 2010 by Virus Bulletin
