Small businesses are grossly underestimating the dangers of illegal software and viruses, according to a new survey commissioned by the Business Software Alliance (BSA).
The survey of 1,800 businesses found that 85 per cent of SMEs do not realise they are at risk from viruses and nearly half (41 per cent) believe there is no risk from unlicensed software.
The anti-piracy organisation disclosed that last year SMEs in Europe faced average fines of more than £10,000 for being caught using pirated software, leaving themselves open to law suits over copyright violation.
UK member committee chair of the BSA, Ram Dhaliwal said: "It's clear from the research that directors of many British businesses just don't realise the risks of using illegal software.
"SMEs need to recognise that they could be susceptible to serious operational and IT risks, aside from the legal and financial consequences."
