The Software Alliance (BSA), a global software industry trade association, has called on the Vietnamese government and business leaders to intensify control to prevent the use of unlicensed software by businesses in Vietnam.

The alliance made this call to action in a recent press release in which it emphasized the need to strengthen inspections and law enforcement actions in response to a significant rise in the use of unlicensed software by businesses within Vietnam.

“In addition to the illegal use of software, there is a direct correlation between such illegal use and successful malware attacks,” BSA stated.

Recently, domestic cyberattacks have tended to target important industries such as energy, oil and banking, disrupting business operations, and leaking confidential information.

Adam Coates, general counsel of BSA, underscored that using unlicensed software seriously affects data security, exposing businesses to high risks of cyberattacks, data breaches, and malware infection.

Such risks not only cause financial damage but also affect the trust and confidence of clients, partners, and stakeholders, while possibly causing damage to the entire economy, Adam stated. 

It is alarming that the use of unlicensed software continues to be commonplace in Vietnam, Coates warned, emphasizing that this problem should be addressed with vigorous law enforcement and public awareness campaigns. 

He added that some higher-end software intended for sophisticated design for construction and engineering is often used without licenses in Vietnam, thereby affecting the integrity of large projects.

“We urge Vietnamese authorities and business leaders to take immediate action to curb this trend. In fact, licensed software is the best first line of defense against cyber threats,” Coates said in the press release. 

In 2020, BSA launched the 'Legalize and Protect' campaign in partnership with local authorities to ensure companies and organizations use licensed software, and this effort has achieved some success, the general counsel said.

This year, BSA is working with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to support efforts to legalize greater volumes of software used by businesses and organizations in Vietnam, he added.

Le Thanh Liem, chief inspector of the ministry, said the agency will coordinate closely with BSA and other organizations to conduct inspections of businesses with signs of software copyright infringements.

“All detected violations will be strictly punished under applicable laws. We recommend that businesses ensure their legal use of copyrighted software right now,” Liem said.

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