How I removed a Virus that had infected a whole company
Why Pirated Software Is a Security Disaster for Businesses
Please check pirated software for viruses before using it. Better yet, do not use pirated software at all. This is not a moral argument. It is a risk and cost argument, and I learned it firsthand as a tech consultant.
A Real World Case From a Cloud Migration Project
I was working with a company where my role covered multiple responsibilities at once. I was handling a cloud storage data migration, building CRM automations, and providing general IT support. During the process, I started noticing something odd. Every employee's Adobe Acrobat looked different. Some could not update it. Others could not sign in, connect to the internet, or sync properly. These were not normal software bugs. The issues were inconsistent, widespread, and persistent. That was the first red flag.
The Root Cause No One Wanted to Admit
After digging deeper, the cause became clear. Every employee, including the CFO and CEO, was running a pirated copy of Adobe Acrobat. The software had been distributed internally because Acrobat was considered essential for their jobs. What no one realized was that these pirated versions were infected with a keylogger. Usernames, passwords, saved credentials, and credit card information were being captured and exfiltrated. Suddenly, another long standing mystery made sense.
The Hidden Cost of "Saving Money"
The company had been dealing with repeated credit card theft for months. Cards were being compromised at a rate far beyond what could be explained by normal fraud or local skimming. They assumed it was bad luck or external theft. It was internal exposure caused by infected software. In an attempt to save a few dollars on licensing, the previous IT provider had introduced a security vulnerability that cost the company far more in lost time, disrupted operations, fraud resolution, and reputational risk than legitimate software ever would have.
Why Pirated Software Is Especially Dangerous Today
Modern pirated software is rarely just cracked software. It is often bundled with malware designed to sit quietly and harvest data. Executives, finance teams, and admins are prime targets because of the access they hold. This is not just an individual risk. It is an enterprise risk.
The Outcome and the Lesson
The company is now purchasing all software licenses properly and rebuilding parts of its internal security posture. The damage was avoidable. The lesson is simple. Software licensing is not an expense to minimize blindly. It is part of your security infrastructure. Cutting corners here almost always costs more later. If you are running a business, assume pirated software is compromised. Because most of the time, it is.