Ever using file-sharing programs? Watch out! If you don't, your PC will not live very long.
1Download the required security. They are described below.Ad
2Understand what file sharing is. File sharing functions like this: You download and install the file sharing program, and after that, you can browse for what you need that is shared by every other person with the file sharing program installed. File sharing isn't always illegal, many Linux versions are distributed via file sharing. File sharing is also known as "Peer to Peer" or "P2P" and most uses "Tree Tiger Hash" to secure that data are transferred correctly.
3Get a file-sharing program that doesn't contain bundle-ware. You can find a list of file sharing programs you shouldn't use down in the tips of this how-to.
4Check the files you download. Do they look suspicious? Did they just randomly appear? Did you browse for the Ubuntu Linux OS and "Britney Spears Gets A Prank Call" just appeared? If so, they might be containing bad-ware.
5Don't download: bat files, .wma files and .exe files. These are often filled with bad stuff. Some zip and rar files might be containing bad things too.
6Don't download games and security programs from file sharing. These are the most commonly used disguise for bad-ware.
7Watch out for ending masking Ok, example: A file is named veryfunnypic.bmp.exe. It is really an .exe file, but if you mask it correctly, it will look like a bmp file. Watch out, since this is somehow hard to purge. Sometimes, you can look at the small graphic-thingies somewhere at the files status bar (a good example is Lime Wire).Ad
- Anti Virus Software (only install 1 of these): avast!(effective) and AVG (simple).
- Anti spyware: Ad-Aware (simple) and SUPERAntiSpyware (simple and good).
- Firewall (only install 1 of these): ZoneAlarm (simple) and COMODO (advanced, but good).
- Don't use these file sharing programs: KaZaa, iMesh and BearShare.
We could really use your help!
- Here is an example of what bad things that can happen with file sharing (basically a translates version of spywarefri.dk (danish))
- I want a program (lets say, Heroes of Might and Magic 4), so i start up my file sharing program. I type in Heroes of Might and Magic 4, and hits enter. After some time, a status bar appears, with the name Heroes of Might and Magic 4. I look at the peers. 19, and 7 of them are online, so my program automatically downloads a bit from the first, a bit from the second, a bit from the third and so on. 6 of the peers are real nice people who couldn't dream about bundling a Trojan or a piece of spyware to the program, but the last one screwed with the code, so when downloaded, there is some extra "goodies" that wasn't in the original program.
- So, after downloading, i install the game, while laughing a bit at the owner, who wanted 40 bucks for the original version. And while in laughing, a Trojan is getting installed onto my PC (dun, dun DUN). Sometimes, the program doesn't function optimally, it was just built to transport the Trojan. Sometimes (most often) the program requires an activation code. You CAN search thepiratebay.org, Google and yahoo.com for key generators, but they often contain a Trojan or two.
- When having a Trojan on your PC, it can be used by other people. Used for industrial espionage, sending spam, or your worst nightmare, when the police confiscates your pc because you have illegal child molesting porn on your PC, AND ARE SHARING IT!. Hard to deny, when the movies are found, and your IP logged. Sometimes, money on your bank account is just gone, due to hackers shopping with your money on amazon.com. And also, there are the purely evil people, who deletes all your documents, music, pictures, or "just" an important file, which means that your computer cannot start again. To do so, you don't need more than a minimal knowledge of programming. A simple .bat file can do it.
- So, you saved some money in the first time, but if not careful, your money might be used to buy a new car for Ukrainian hackers. Whoops, big mistake, huh?
- You might get caught if you download illegal stuff.