Use Genuine Software
It should go without saying that you should always purchase and use genuine licensed software.
Purchase software products, physical or digital, direct from the manufacturer and/or from authorized reputable retailers. Genuine licensed software ensures the software is clean to install and use (generally safe from viruses, malware, ransomware, etc.) and should come backed by the manufacturer’s warranty and include product support. If necessary, register your software product with the manufacturer as doing so may afford you added benefits like free or discounted product upgrades and/or other offers.
Avoid pirated, cracked and/or unlicensed software as these products may contain embedded viruses, malware, ransomware and/or other malicious code which may allow hackers unauthorized access to sensitive and/or confidential information and/or cause irreparable harm or damage to computers, servers, network infrastructure and so forth. Use of unlicensed software may also result in legal action from the manufacturer for unauthorized product use (aka piracy).
It's a good idea for business owners and businesses to implement a technology policy which outlines proper use of company technology resources including installation and use of software. It’s also good to periodically audit company devices to ensure only genuine licensed software is installed, software is being used in accordance with the applicable license agreements, and the license use count corresponds with the number of licenses purchased by the company. If there are any discrepancies between licenses purchased vs licenses in use, the company should review further and take appropriate corrective action.
Granted, if you’re a sole proprietor or single-member LLC with no employees, it may not be necessary to have a company technology policy but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t incorporate and follow best practices including use of only genuine licensed software, compliance with license agreements and making sure the number of licenses in use correspond with the number of licenses purchased.
Tip:
While you don’t necessarily need to upgrade to a new version of a software product after every new release, it’s a good idea to review what’s new in each new product version and determine if an upgrade to a new version is warranted. Eventually, software manufacturers may discontinue support and/or updates to older product versions so you’ll want to plan and budget for potential future upgrades.