The following are a few tips that can help you maintain your privacy and keep your computer free from viruses and spyware.
Avoid Donating or purchasing "Pro" Subscriptions
Programs such as Limewire and several file sharing related websites often try to coerce users into purchasing 'Pro' or 'VIP' subscriptions. Such subscriptions rarely offer incentives worthy of purchase as the main benefits offered such as 'Turbo Charged Connections' are a marketing ploy or can be obtained freely by using competing software (See Frostwire as a Free alternative to Limewire).
Donating to File Sharing websites puts you at risk if the website becomes the target of a file sharing related lawsuit. Typically all financial records are seized by the authorities and used in prosecution. In previous cases, website donors have been targetted in further lawsuits as accomplices in aiding and financially supporting copyright infringement.
The best way to support your favorite file sharing website or application is to support them through ad clicks. A few ad clicks per week add up and do not put you at additional risk.
Make Sure Your Blocklist is Current
Blocklists are essential to blocking unwanted connections and keeping your information private but they only are effective if they are current. When using Peer Guardian make sure that your settings include automatic updates to your blocklists every 2-4 days. There is a step by step guide to help you setup Peer Guardian on the guides page.
The internet is constantly changing with new organizations posing threat all the time. Keeping your lists up to date is one of the best ways of keeping yourself safe.
How to Avoid Viruses and Spyware
One of the biggest problem that people have when using P2P file sharing sites like Limewire encounter is viruses and spyware. There are a few simple things that you can do to protect yourself:
- Check the source. If a greater number of people are sharing the file it is less likely to contain a virus or other types of malware.
- Avoid pornography. This is the largest source of malware and spyware infections. When you find an adult video that is only a few megs it is not a video at all, but rather a virus. Often these 'videos' require you to install or otherwise allow security compromising software onto your computer.
- When downlaoding music files, bigger files do not mean better! MP3 files for an average song should only be about 3-5 mb depending on the length of the song and the bitrate it was encoded at (FLAC excluded). If there is a file that loks bloated avoid it since it will usually contain a virus that will install on execution of the MP3 file.
These have been a couple of tips to help you stay safe while using P2P file sharing programs. If you use common sense and aviod files that have odd sizes this should eliminate the majority of possible threats. If you aren't sure about a file, simply don't download it.
Stay Current With the News
Stay current with peer-to-peer news such as provided on our News page which includes syndicated content from multiple sources including news sites such as Torrent Freak and P2P Blog RSS feeds. By staying informed, you will be able to recognize potential threats.
For example, in 2007 the popular BitTorrent tracker TorrentSpy became legally required to collect detailed log files on all its users activities [Source]. By staying current with similar news items and events, you can avoid the most common snares set against the P2P community.
Create A Strong Username and Password
Most people usually use a single user name and/or password for their email and other sites that they may use. A thief can and will cause serious problems since they would have access to all you accounts. The solution; Create different usernames and passwords for all your accounts. This may seem like a large task but there are tools out there to help. Keepass is a solution to this for users of Windows, Linux and the Mac OSX. Keepass can generate random passwords that are nearly impossible to crack, and store them in one encrypted database for future use along with your user name and URL. By using this tool you can ensure your personal information is protected.
Use Usenet if you are Paranoid
If you are completely paranoid about being tracked while using P2P type networks one option is Usenet. Usenet is the most secure way of downloading available today. With Usenet there are no trackers (unless required by law) due to subscription fees and available SSL encrypted connections that ensure you remain anonymous while downloading files.
Use Proper Protection Software
If simple precautions such as using anti-virus software and knowing how to spot phising emails/sites were made before diving into the internet, many users would not have the problems as they do. The easiest way to learn how to do this, is to visit sites such as Get Netwise.
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