A new Microsoft-commissioned poll shows that about half of consumers are worried about data loss and identity theft that could result from counterfeit software.

Research firm TNS polled 38,000 people in 20 countries and found that 80 percent fear this type of software.

"Consumers everywhere are coming to us with complaints about counterfeit software," said David Finn, Microsoft's associate general council for worldwide anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting, said in a statement. "They're asking what they can do to protect themselves. They want facts. And they want the industry and the government to stand up and take action. Our commitment is to do everything we can to help them."

In fact, 75 percent of those polled want the government to do more, and nearly the same amount (72 percent) want software companies to take more measures to protect them. Three-fourths also said it's up to consumers to be wary of fake software.

"The results of this survey show that there is still a significant need for the software industry and government to educate consumers about counterfeit software," said Jodie Kelley, general counsel and vice president of Anti-Piracy, Business software Alliance, in the report.

With a lot of convincing bogus software on the market, Microsoft said it can be hard for consumers to tell. About 73 percent of respondents said they would choose legitimate software if it's available. But the company said that more than 300,000 customers have reported that their computers had been attacked by viruses or malware because of phony software since 2005.

"Consumers don't want counterfeit software," Kelley added. "They know it's harmful, and in fact it's hurting people everywhere. But they need the tools and the knowledge to help keep themselves safe from those risks."

Microsoft provides consumers with some resources to deal with counterfeit software, such as its How to Tell site. The company also urges users to ensure that any and all software passes the Windows validation test to verify that it is legitimate.

Of course it's in Microsoft's best interest if consumers purchase legitimate software rather than relying on pirated copies. In September, Microsoft said it would fundamentally alter the way it provides software licenses to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) after a newspaper article accused Russian authorities of raiding the offices of anti-government organizations under the auspices of Microsoft piracy crackdowns.