Michael Atherton 1201714409|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
Peer to peer file sharing can be very useful when sharing files between people. Networks like eMule allow users to share things that they have and get things from other uses which they want.
As most people are aware, it is rather important to have a firewall installed on your computer to protect yourself from any possible threats. When a user wishes to share their files and to access other peoples files on a peer to peer network such as BitTorrent, a specific TCP port through the firewall is required to be open. Although this allows for the exchanging of files between users, if the port is open a user becomes susceptible to malicious attacks
Another worrying concern is that when a user selects a file to download, for example, a .exe file, there is no way of knowing what the file actually contains. It could be a virus or a Trojan which could infect the user’s computer.
Although there are clear advantages of file sharing, it is important to pay particular attention when considering the security threats.
Reference: http://www.cdt.org/testimony/030515davidson.shtml
Michael Atherton, 1201714409|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
