One of the easiest ways that I know of to have your computer become infected with a virus or other malicious software is by downloading freeware, shareware, or person-to-person(P2P) files using a file sharing site. For instance, using Limewire, Bearshare, or Morpheus to download free P2P music files. These sites use the Gnutella network to allow you access to millions of computer users files. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that these free files don’t contain a virus, spyware, or even a Trojan Horse. Ultimately, this could lead you to becoming a victim of identity theft, one of the fastest growing crimes in Canada and the USA.
In fact, I have talked to several people over the years whose computers have become infected with viruses and other malware from using software from a file sharing site to download free music, video files, etc.
Recently, a good friend of mine was telling me that his computer had become infected with viruses and other malicious software. This had happened from his son using Limewire software to download free files such as MP3 music. These free files sadly contained more than he bargained for.
The other day I was talking with a lady that uses Limewire to download free music files. I told her that by using free file sharing software her computer very well could become infected with a virus or other malware. She responded that she doesn’t have to worry about this because she has good internet security software installed.
Just because you have internet security software, such as an anti-virus program, installed on your computer, doesn’t mean that you can now safely download files from free file sharing sites.
This is because thousands of new viruses and other malicious software are created everyday. Although it is essential that you have anti-virus and other internet security software installed on your computer it is only as good as the last update. Internet security companies are very much playing a cat and mouse game in their effort to defend you against the latest internet security threat. That free MP3 music or video file you downloaded could very well be infected with a virus or other malware that hasn’t yet been detected by the internet security companies.
Your free MP3 music files, etc. could even be infected with a Remote Acces Trojan, the most common type of Trojan Horse. This malicious software could allow a criminal view and change your computer’s files and functions, monitor and record your activities, store files and programs on your computer, and turn on your webcam and spy with you. The Trojan Horse could even use a keystroke logger, also known as a keylogger, to secretly record your banking info, passwords, credit card numbers, etc. The crook could use this information to steal your identity. As Drew Carey of the Price is right would say, "come on down, you’re the next victim of identity theft!"
It is simply not worth the risk, for the sake of saving a few dollars, of using free file sharing sites to download files such as MP3 music and videos. Using free file sharing sites puts your internet security and privacy in jeapardy. I highly reccomend you spend a few dollars on legal and safe music downloads from sites such as Napster and Rhapsody. As the saying goes, it is indeed better to be safe than sorry!
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This post was written by admin on June 19, 2010
