Note: Are you interested in how the Jetpack team investigates malware to help protect your site? Then we've got you covered. The takeaways are for everyone, but the second half of the article does require some technical knowledge of how WordPress works.

Creating your new business website or your personal blog is really exciting! Choosing a nice theme which will showcase your vision and selecting the proper plugins to deliver the best user experience is not an easy task, and it will most likely add to the cost of having this project up and running. Pirating software may be tempting as an easy cost-saving measure.

Besides software like Windows 10, Microsoft Office, or Adobe Creative Suite, you'll find pirated WordPress extensions out there too. Downloading plugins and themes from sites that aren't licensed distributors will only add to your cost in the long run. Let me explain why.

In 2018, BSA published the Global Software Survey, where it states some striking numbers:

  • 37% of all software installed on personal computers is unlicensed
  • The cost of fixing malware or viruses installed from pirated software is nearly $360 billion a year

Some may argue that a pirated WordPress theme or plugin will do no harm to their computer, or doesn't even represent a threat to their information since it's running on someone else's computer (also known as the cloud). This couldn't be more wrong.

Continue reading "The Real Cost of Unlicensed Plugins"