Use caution with peer to peer networks
Keith Knutson
Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: News
Many college students are aware of the legal ramifications caused by sharing
copyrighted material over the Internet, yet few know the actual damage these files do to our computers. File sharing programs such as Kazaa, LimeWire and Morpheus present little to no harm to your computer when downloaded themselves. Tthese programs do not come loaded with files that harm your computer. The files you download using these programs have the potential to harm your computer. The process of file sharing works like this:
a program such as Kazaa or Limewire must be downloaded from their parent site, then during the installation process a folder is created which holds all your music and documents.All of the files inside of this folder will be available to everyone else using this program. It is important for you to know that any file you put in the designated folder may be accessed by others.
File Sharing programs allow you to access the files on someone else's computer;
this means that other users have the power to manipulate files in any way they choose.Malware isMalicious Software which is commonly used to either harm your computer or to steal your personal information.
Keep in mind the users who carry these viruses don't always intend to harm
your computer. It is quite often that someone will have a virus on their computer
without knowing it. Worms are files that harm all computers on a network
rather than just a single computer. For instance, if a worm is downloaded
at a school or office it will affect every user. Typically a computer infected
with a worm will experience an unusually slow network connection.
The scariest type of computer-harming software is the Trojan Horse. Trojans
are ordinary files which contain malicious code that is often manipulated
from another computer. Usually these files are programs which are downloaded
onto your computer and use Internet access to operate. The reason that
Trojans are more malicious than others is because they actually allow hackers
copyrighted material over the Internet, yet few know the actual damage these files do to our computers. File sharing programs such as Kazaa, LimeWire and Morpheus present little to no harm to your computer when downloaded themselves. Tthese programs do not come loaded with files that harm your computer. The files you download using these programs have the potential to harm your computer. The process of file sharing works like this:
a program such as Kazaa or Limewire must be downloaded from their parent site, then during the installation process a folder is created which holds all your music and documents.All of the files inside of this folder will be available to everyone else using this program. It is important for you to know that any file you put in the designated folder may be accessed by others.
File Sharing programs allow you to access the files on someone else's computer;
this means that other users have the power to manipulate files in any way they choose.Malware isMalicious Software which is commonly used to either harm your computer or to steal your personal information.
Keep in mind the users who carry these viruses don't always intend to harm
your computer. It is quite often that someone will have a virus on their computer
without knowing it. Worms are files that harm all computers on a network
rather than just a single computer. For instance, if a worm is downloaded
at a school or office it will affect every user. Typically a computer infected
with a worm will experience an unusually slow network connection.
The scariest type of computer-harming software is the Trojan Horse. Trojans
are ordinary files which contain malicious code that is often manipulated
from another computer. Usually these files are programs which are downloaded
onto your computer and use Internet access to operate. The reason that
Trojans are more malicious than others is because they actually allow hackers
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