Dear SAM, as the saying goes, honesty is the best policy.
I started my career in SAM more than 20 years ago, or rather even before that. Part of my education was programming in various languages, above all methodology of development. Thanks to that I can read almost any syntax in most coding languages, almost as when reading text in a familiar language. I never have become particularly good at development. I lean more towards testing and debugging or coordination in development rather than the deed itself.
Partly to further my education, partly due to curiosity I was testing, all and anything back then. I see software as tools, enabling me (anybody) to do what needs to be done. I can’t draw much by hand, but with the right piece of software I could be a Monet, Picasso, you name it.
So as a student I did not always respect all the rules, which is how I learned. In the beginning, I was doing a little hacking and cracking, but over time I simply got good at finding what I needed, fruits of someone else’s cracking labor. That lead to reading license agreements, then to assessing risks…
Ever since I started working in the field, I’m legit. Mostly likely because I also switched platform from Windows/Mac to Linux.
My experiences and knowledge I gained, however, serve me and my clients well. Now to the real topic after this long introduction…
There’s something in SAM, not really an area so much, as rather a dark corner. It concerns what is in general called “Software Piracy”.
The problem with this “corner” is that it is diffuse and subject to some interpretation in almost every case.
Tools are not specifically designed or defined to seek out cracked, unlawfully serialized, Keygen:ed,or patched software.
Users want to accomplish what has been assigned to them and if the company can’t provide functionality in time, some may take things into their own hands. In most cases, it is a set of internal policies that are broken, like purchasing software with a credit card and trying to get the money back, then asking for its implementation, when the deed is uncovered.
Now and then, specifically in less developed countries users download various software and “keys”/”patches”/cracks/keygen’s to enable full functionality, for free. In-home settings, this is a small risk to the person using such a “shortcut”. Sometimes though these people manage to bring “this stuff” into their working environment and this is when the fun starts.
Most companies are not aware. It’s more an “I don’t want to know” policy, partly because the tools can’t conclusively (without prior proper input) discover anomalies quickly enough.
Between implemented standards, well-recorded entitlements which can be reconciled against, it is a truly dark corner, which at times, might get a much bigger cost than anticipated, in case of an audit.
Ask US Navy about it and a few others over the last few years.
I don’t intend to, here and now, discuss how to approach this “corner” from a practical perspective. If you wish my help, I can offer some time and assistance, but I won’t do this “pro bono”.
However, the best advice which I can give freely is: take a look at “portable apps” in use and specifically, installed or not, torrent clients; and if you find any “out-there”, start digging much, much deeper…
