Are You a Pirate?
By Reid Goldsborough
If you’re like me, you’ve gotten many e-mail messages lately cajoling you to buy anti-virus software. “YOUR COMPUTER IS AT RISK!” shouted one in all capital letters. “PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER,” implored another.
If you don’t already have anti-virus software or need an update, these offers may sound enticing. After all, to anyone who is connected to the Internet, computer viruses are a serious threat and anti-virus software is a must. And the price for the software advertised in these e-mail messages is typically very attractive.
The problem is, offers such as these are usually just as illegal as the virus activity they purport to protect you from. For the most part these are pirated programs, illicitly copied software that is sold inexpensively because it didn’t cost the seller anything to obtain it.
