The use of pirated software is acceptable to a third of Briton as they are ignorant about dangers such as virus attacks and identity theft. 

A survey conducted by Microsoft has revealed that one in six respondents use pirated computer programs at home or at work. One in eight employed adults admitted the use of illegal software at work, with fifty-seven per cent of those said their boss would not regard the practice as unacceptable. 

The survey claimed that around sixty per cent people know more about the risks of downloading pirated music or films than about dangers of using illegal software. 

Microsoft claimed that the use of pirated software caused virus attacks in sixty-two per cent of cases, a loss of personal data in thirty-one per cent of cases and a system crash in thirty-eight per cent of cases. 

The Digital Economy bill, which is expected to be passed in the coming few weeks, aims to crack down on online piracy in the UK.