Governments could lose more than USD 50 billion in dealing with costs associated with malware on pirated software, shows a study by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and research firm IDC.

The study, titled ‘The Link Between Pirated Software and Cyber security Breaches’, expressed concern over the potential impact of cyber security threats on nations.

“It is estimated that governments could lose more than USD 50 billion to deal with the costs associated with malware on pirated software,” it said.

According to the study, respondents from the government sector were most worried about the loss of business trade secrets or competitive information (59 per cent).

This was followed by concerns about unauthorised access to confidential government information (55 per cent) and the impact of cyber attacks on critical infrastructure (55 per cent).

“Cyber criminals are profiting from any security lapse they can find, with financially devastating results for everyone,” Microsoft Cybercrime Centre Executive Director and Associate General Counsel David Finn said.

Motivated by money, they (cyber criminals) have found new ways to break into computer networks so they can grab whatever they want: identity, passwords and money, he added.

The study also estimates that enterprises worldwide may have to spend nearly USD 500 billion this year to deal with issues caused by malware deliberately loaded onto pirated software.

Of this, USD 127 billion is expected to be spent on dealing with security issues, while USD 364 billion would be spent on dealing with data breaches.

Global consumers, on the other hand, are expected to spend USD 25 billion and waste 1.2 billion hours this year because of security threats and costly computer fixes stemming from malware on pirated software.

“Using pirated software is like walking through a field of landmines: You do not know when you will come upon something nasty, but if you do it can be very destructive,” IDC Chief Researcher John Gantz said.

In what could be a major political development in Tamil Nadu politics, MDMK general secretary Vaiko met suspended DMK leader MK Alagiri at his residence in Madurai on Sunday.

Meeting between the two leaders holds significance as it comes days after the MDMK became a part of the BJP-led NDA fold. It also needs to be noted that the disgruntled son of DMK chief K Karunanidhi had earlier this month met BJP President Rajnath Singh to offer support for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Emerging from the meet, Vaiko told reporters, “I sought his (Alagiri) support for the NDA. I came to meet Alagiri to garner support for me. I wanted him to support me in the Lok Sabha polls.”

Alagiri was in January suspended from all posts of the DMK reportedly for going against the party stand and for giving out statements contrary to party in the public domain. The party also denied the Union Minister a ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Attacking Congress, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday said that it is the weakest party due to its “autocratic functioning” and claimed that Third Front would emerge victorious in the Lok Sabha polls and would form the next government.

“You just see the map of the country…Third front is the strongest and Congress is the weakest due to its autocratic functioning. After elections Third Front will emerge victorious and form the next government at the Centre,” Yadav said.

He was talking to reporters after garlanding the statue of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia on his 104th birth anniversary here at Lohia Park.

Asked about him contesting elections from Azamgarh seat, Yadav said the decision was taken on demand of the party workers.

“I am contesting from Azamgarh on demand of party workers…It’s not due to Muslim vote bank or any other factor,” he said.

On Narendera Modi contesting from Varanasi, the SP chief said he would have to return to his state (Gujarat) after the polls.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and SP state president Akhilesh Yadav was also present on the occasion.

Strongly opposing the ‘Har Har Modi’ chants here to hail the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Kashi Shankaracharya, a religious leader, has asked the BJP supporters to not politicise the sacred mantras.

Modi is all set to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from the Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

Adi Shankaracharya including many other religious leaders have asked the party carders to immediately stop the use of slogan ‘Har Har Modi’and expressed serious resentment over what they termed ‘politicisation of the sacred mantras’.

The BJP carders have coined the slogan – ‘Har Har Modi, ghar-ghar Modi’, which is being used by them widely in the state during Modi’s campaign or in rallies. The same can even be found written on the walls, party posters and billboards. Some have even formed few songs while using the same slogan.

The slogan was first raised during the Gujarat chief minister’s public rally at Varanasi a few months back and after that the local party workers included it in their election campaign.

During the recent Holi celebrations, groups of BJP workers were heard singing the slogan accompanied by music as they visited different localities in the town.

Meanwhile, local BJP leaders said they were not aware of any such resentment by Kashi (Varanasi’s old name) Shankarachraya but added that they would speak to him in this regard.

“We will never think of hurting religious sentiments,” said a local leader.

A suggestion for allowing defence personnel to cast their votes at the constituency of their posting has found little favour in the government, which feels it is not feasible because of strategic factors and other complexities.

However, the government is yet to take the final call on the ticklish issue which is to come up in the Supreme Court on tomorrow.

There is a view in the government that granting right to defence personnel to cast their vote at the place of their posting is “not feasible” due to various reasons, sources said on Sunday.

“Allowing servicemen to cast their vote at the place of their current posting also involves the issue of security. If they exercise their voting right at the place of their posting, it could give out details of their deployment,” a source said while explaining the hesitation.

He claimed that granting such a right could also mean that in a forward area where soldiers outnumber local residents, the armed forces would be the deciding factor over the locals in the victory of a candidate.

“As it is, their right to vote is protected. Defence personnel can take leave and cast their vote at the place where they are registered as voters. They can also use postal ballot. They are the only ones allowed ‘proxy voting’, by which they can authorise their next of kin to vote on their behalf for the candidate of their choice,” said the source.

But the government agrees that there is need to streamline the system of postal ballots as servicemen have often complained that they fail to get the ballot on time, denying them the opportunity to exercise their right.

The issue has been discussed at the meetings of Committee of Secretaries chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.

Angered over denial of Lok Sabha ticket from Barmer, senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh on Sunday announced to contest election from the same constituency, stating that he is not a piece of furniture whom the party will adjust anywhere.

Singh also confirmed that he will file his nomination from his home constituency on Monday. However, he also said that he is not resigning from the party as of now and that he would consult his colleagues before taking that step.”Yes, I am filing my nomination papers tomorrow from Barmer. Independent or not, will depend on the party’s attitude,” he said.

The upset BJP leader, who currently represents Darjeeling in Lok Sabha, today said that behaviour of many BJP leaders nowadays, is full of conceit and scornful.

Singh’s recent comment on BJP seems to be a response to senior leader Arun Jaitley’s statement on Saturday wherein the latter had said that the party will find an alternate way of using veteran leader.

Meanwhile, Arun Jaitley today said that leaders should sometimes accept ‘no’ after being showered with privileges and that they should accept the decision with a smile.

While expressing his disappointment over party’s decision to give Barmer constituency ticket to veteran Congress leader and former DGP of Rajasthan Colonel Sona Ram Choudhary, Singh lashed out against the party’s leadership saying there was need to differentiate between “real” and “fake” BJP.

“One which is real and the other is unreal or better put original and duplicate. Unfortunately the duplicate part has the reins of party now, ” Singh said.

Displeased over denial of Barmer ticket to Singh, his supporters on Saturday went on a rampage and vandalised the party office in Jaisalmer, reports said.

Besides this, Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh, who is an MLA from Barmer, is likely to skip a meeting called by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje today.

Singh has found a sympathiser in senior party leader Sushma Swaraj, who also showed disappointment over Singh not being allowed to contest upcoming Lok Sabha polls from his home constituency Barmer.

Furthermore, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh questioned Narendra Modi’s stature in BJP and tweeted, “Is Modi bigger than BJP and RSS? He also questioned the denial of ticket to Jaswant Singh and said, “If there is a ‘Modi wave’ in the country then why BJP is engineering defections and giving seats to defectors?”

In the backdrop of a terror threat and a major bid being foiled by the Delhi Police on Sunday, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi should not worry about it as there is no such threat to any leader. Shinde also described the catch as a big success.

“Modi ko koi dar nahi hai (Modi does not need to worry). There is no such threat to any leader, those who have any kind of threat we have provided adequate security to all of them,” Shinde said.

Terming the arrest of four suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists by special cell of Delhi Police as a big success, Shinde said, “Waqas’ arrest is a great success for us. It would help in getting more links to nab other terrorists. ”

Waqas has been identified as one of the four terrorists being held.

Adding further that these catch could provide crucial links, Shinde said, “Waqas was involved in a lot of terrorist cases, his arrest is important, will be a very crucial link.”

According to official sources, 24-year-old Waqas is a Pakistani who came to India for the first time in September 2010, along with Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi who was arrested with Yasin Bhatkal.

To a question, Shinde said, “We had said that when the time comes we will disclose about it. It is a big success for us. We have got him. His arrest is most important.”

“His (Waqas’) arrest will help us in providing more links. We are in process of nabbing 2-3 more terrorists. If I mention any case in which he is involved, it will not be good on account of evidence,” Shinde added.

A major terror plot was foiled on Sunday as a joint operation of Delhi Police’s Special Cell and Rajasthan Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) nabbed four suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists from Rajasthan.

One of the terrorist was arrested with 250 Kg of explosives from Jodhpur, while other three IM suspects were held in Jaipur.

Reports say many terrorists managed to escape the police and a search operation is on in many areas of Rajasthan to hunt for them.

Among those held, is the notorious IM terrorist Waqas alias Ahmad Javed of Pakistan, who is known to be involved in many terror attacks like Gaya and Patna blasts, Zaveri Bazaar blasts and Dilsukhnagar blasts.

In a press conference, Delhi Police said Waqas was arrested on Saturday morning at Ajmer railway station.

Waqas, who is thought to be close to Riyaz Bhatkal, is also wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has kept a bounty of Rs. 10 lakh on his head.

SN Shrivastava, special commissioner of Delhi police (special cell) said that as Waqa was being quizzed, he revealed that three of his aides were about to meet in Ajmer for planning a terror attack.

“Any major event including polls could be targeted, we still have to probe further about their specific target,” said Shrivastava.

Others nabbed were identified as Mahroof, Mehraj alias Mehrajuddin and Saqib.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde hailed the arrests of the four IM terrorists, terming the arrest of Waqas a great success.

“It would help in getting more links to nab other terrorists,” he said.

Shinde further said that the BJP leader Narednra Modi did not need to worry as he has been provided adequate security.

The arrests came after the Intelligence agencies had issued an alert warning of possible terror attacks in the run-up to the General Elections 2014, that are to start from April 7.

Under suspicion is a new IM module, that is in direct contact with the IM leader Riyaz Bhatkal, who is said to be in Pakistan.

The arrest come after some reports cited IB sources as saying that the BJP leaders’ lives were under threat.