Peer-To-Peer File Sharing: How to Protect Your Computer

When you're using peer-to-peer file sharing, security becomes absolutely critical.

You must run antivirus software and patch your system regularly to make sure that your operating system is protected from any rogue or infected files you receive.

Firewalls are still important, but because you've allowed the peer-to-peer software to access your computer through your firewall in order to share files, the firewall won't be able to block most peer-to-peer security attacks.

In addition, you must secure each piece of peer-to-peer software separately, because each type of peer-to-peer software is different. We can't describe the exact steps to take for each piece of software, because no two interfaces are alike. However, there are several general security precautions you should take with each peer-to-peer network you use:

1. Never reuse a password that you've used on a peer-to-peer network, because many of them don't encrypt passwords and your password can be intercepted much more easily from an unencrypted connection.
   
2. Set your software to ask for your approval before a file is downloaded. This prevents virus-infected computers from automatically sending you more virus-infected files.
   
3. Make sure that nothing can be automatically run without your approval. This prevents infected computers from sending you executable viruses that will infect your computer as soon as they're received.
   
4. Add the screen names of people you know to your IM, IRC, and chat-based peer-to-peer contacts lists, and accept only messages from people you know. Both viruses and spam are being broadcast to hundreds of chat-type peer-to-peer users at a time, and this helps reduce your computer's exposure to infected computers.