ixDownload: Using Torrents Can Pose Serious Security and Legal Risks

Torrents may have revolutionized the way Internet users download and share files but they also pose serious security and legal risks.

2010-09-22

BELLEVUE, WA, September 22, 2010 (Press-News.org) Torrents may have revolutionized the way Internet users download and share files but they also pose serious security and legal risks. "Nobody wants to get dinged for serious money just because they downloaded 'Hurt Locker'," said Oliver Thompson, Media Manager at ixDownload.Com, the Internet's leading software review and resource site.

Besides the ever present threat of lawsuits, penalties, and possible jail time, torrents pose a serious danger to computer security. "There really is no EFFECTIVE quality control or screening for illegal torrents," noted Thompson. "Sure, many torrent sites have forum-like commenting systems for downloads but these are easily defeated. The main reason many torrents' review pages are several pages long is because malware uploaders kept posting bogus "good" reviews to bury or hide critical reports of malware presence or viral infection." Many torrent sites just repost torrents found in many other similar sites and aren't screened by site operators. "Even if they had a serious screening process, it probably won't work since torrent sites don't store physical copies of the actual files. They just host files that tell torrent download software where to find the files," observed Thompson.

To make matters worse, Trojan builders use differing versions of "binding" software aimed at bypassing Internet security software. Since not all security programs are updated uniformly, many security programs produce false positives and tag otherwise "clean" software as possible Trojans. "This results in a lot of confusion. Users may reach a point where they don't know which program to trust anymore," lamented Thompson.

"Because of the confusing false positives, serious computer damage, and legal problems torrents can cause, we've launched a resource page to help users navigate the hell caused by illegal torrent use," said Thompson. The resource page explains and tells more what torrents are and how they can harm your computer. "We offer practical and vital tips that will help users use certain "best practices" that should minimize the dangers posed by the download and use of torrent files." ixDownload's resource page outlines the dangers, possible legal applications, and practical ways of avoiding the dangers illegal torrents bring. "While using antimalware software provides a lot of effective protection, software is not enough. Software plus AWARENESS is the key to a highly effective and practical set of practices that can ensure that your computer does not become infected by malware. Users' Internet usage habits dictate their level of security and we seek to address that with the resource page," said Thompson.

Bottomline, the number one cause of torrent-based security attacks is not the torrent site itself but user habits. Learn to browse the Internet in a secure and responsible way and the legal and security threats posed by torrents drop dramatically.

About ixDownload

ixDownload.Com is the Internet's leading software information and resource site focusing on a wide range of security, productivity, and multimedia applications.

Website: http://www.ixdownload.com/

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ixDownload: Using Torrents Can Pose Serious Security and Legal Risks

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