News Burst: Police face pirated software checks

Britain's police stations will be checked for pirated software following the discovery that some forces have been using counterfeit Microsoft products, the government announced Monday.

The tests will determine whether the problem is confined to systems supplied by one particular company.

Four individuals were arrested and subsequently released without charge last month after it was discovered that several police forces were using bogus editions of Microsoft Office Pro 97.

Junior Home Office minister Lord Bassam, in response to a Lords written question, explained that the Association of Police Chief Officers is to audit a sample of police IT equipment in an attempt to discover the extent of the problem.

Full story to follow.

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