The second most expensive IT security breach after outright fraud, copyright breach is only a part of the overall software security problem. Viruses are often introduced into a system on the back of legitimate programs, even using tunneling, polymorphic or stealth techniques. Only by exercising complete control over the installation of any type of executable files can a system administrator be sure that such files have been properly scanned before they are introduced on the network, that they are legitimate, clean, and expose the company to no risk of legal action, punitive fines or worse.

Users also complicate matters by installing quirky computer games (probably breaching copyright law when they do so), shareware utilities, system modifying extensions and all the other detritus with which they clog up their hard disks. Thus they create reliability problems that are hard, if not impossible, to diagnose. More to the point, they are expensive problems because they consume valuable IT time, and all the while the user cannot use the PC.