Dsicuss the disadvantages to sharing files online
Personally, I have not come across many [problems when using peer to peer sharing however, I guess that is because I know it is important to check the link is safe before downloading it.
It is important to check the source you are downloading from is good because although the title of the file in question is what you are; looking for the content may be a virus or a Trojan that is may harm your PC. Things like looking at the rating may be a good idea or downloading from a reliable website.
Remember there is still a risk of harmful viruses being sent to you so I guess that is a risk you have to take but I find it is usually not that common.
The major risk of sharing files online (P2P) is exposing your computer to unwanted software. Any shared or downloaded file may contain security risks such as viruses, Trojans or spyware, and all files could look legitimate and appear to be normal until actually received, and the content might turn out to be unwanted software. However to prevent this, users download and activate antivirus software that detect corrupt files. Another major risk is actually illegal and against the law by breaking copyright laws and regulations. P2P networks are not centralised making security, reliability and administration difficult to handle. Speed and performance will weaken as more users and computers join the P2P network, and it will become more difficult to manage and control that network.
I know that it is illegal to share files through software such as 'Limewire' and even 'Torrent' sites. However I would like to know is there really a large risk of getting caught as there is so many people sharing files through the same software or site at the same time?
Furthermore if you did get caught downloading in this illegal manner what are the possible consequences you may have to face?
Well it depends, In USA 26,000 people have faced civil lawsuits for using P2P file sharing programs such as Lime-wire, Bear-share, Frost-wire, Kazza or even Torrent sites to steal and share music, pictures and videos etc.
For now I don’t think anyone can get caught in UK, because they are slowing removing this problem from America. However, if you do get caught using P2P file sharing programs illegally, you first get warning from the government, then if you do it again, convicted.
This women got fined £16,000 for sharing pin ball game, four months ago.
Source: http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2008/08/20/16000-fine-for-file-sharing/
I think the main disadvantage with peer to peer sharing has to be with mislabled files which can vary from simply a song with the wrong title or something worse such as a virus. But one thing people seem to forget about when they talk about file sharing is what files are actually shared. Some peoples share folder include there entire computer and every file is freely shared. Some people can then simply search limewire, kazaa etc for phrashes which will bring up peoples private documents which they are unwittingly sharing with the world. Because of this people can become victims of identity theft when all they wanted was a cheap way of downloading music. I believe things like this are the main vulnerabilities with Identity theft.
The disadvantages that come with P2P networking and file transfers isn't limited to the illegal transfer of copyrighted material. Virgin media have, in the past, limited my bandwidth during the legitimate download of an open source operating system, causing the download to take more than double the time that would have normally been required, this has also happened during large file transfers between two consenting individuals and (admittidely long periods) of watching BBC documentaries through the BBC iPlayer.
Since the latest claims state that up to 33% of internet traffic is based upon the bit torrent protocol, and that the use of IPTV, etc has caused the overall level of traffic to skyrocket, are ISPs within their rights (morally or legally) to start traffic shaping to block torrent packets?
Does this action legitimately fall under the terms and conditions of their "fair usage policies", or does this just constitute a denial of service to their paying customers?
There are several disadvantages with peer to peer such as illegal downloads with the entertainment industry and the drawbacks out weight the benefits. For instance peer to peer are less secure then client server networks this is because no authorization is necessary like passwords when users share files such as music, videos etc. Moreover with peer to peer networks as the users increase in a network in turn the download speed decreases, as peer to peer networks are only designed for small networks. Furthermore there’s no centralised network administration which makes it harder to situate who is in charge and who controls the network. Also with peer to peer when users download there are many viruses on the internet which can corrupt the users system.