Reasons to be Leery
It’s like mashed potatoes only less healthy & with more bits! A portmanteau of malicious and software, “malware” is fast becoming bane to network administrator and internet dabbler alike. Malicious, or…
Full of, characterized by, or showing malice; malevolent; spiteful; vicious, wanton, or mischievous in motivation or purpose.
…is certainly the less palatable of the word-mash; yet, when admired from a distance (and with a certain level of moral ambiguity) malware is truly brilliant.
Stuck in the Muck
Anyone willing to place heel in front of toe down the rambling path that is the world wide web will inevitably collect a bit of muck in the process; however, it’s those who stray far from the path and tramp through the murky depths that find themselves stuck in the stagnant wastes. It is this simple telltale nature, this unintended disclosure of debauchery (or intent to participate in) that is truly marvel worthy. Malware freely offers us a certain degree of ethical/moral transparency; accountability, ironically and often unwillingly gifted to us by greed, lust, and avarice.
Alas, as an almost willing benefactor of information technology and given that even the most stalwart and innocent of pilgrims may occasionally fall from the narrow, I should disclose the following cautionary blather:
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing, where is thy sting?
- Bypassed Security – P2P software allows others to directly connect to your computer from anywhere in the world. Allowing you to download unverified content from unknown sources while others upload from your computer; both bypassing security soft/hardware like firewalls and antiviruses.
- Malware – Most P2P software (even legit installs) come bundled with Malware (including trackers, harvesters, spammers, backdoors, etc).
- Hackers – All P2P software is targeted by hackers (due to their vulnerability & popularity) who use them to steal information and spread their contagion. (see note on Malware).
- Oops Factor – P2P software often shares more than intended or realized (especially when misconfigured or left default); making it quite easy to accidentally share your friends, family, personal, or private information and files with the world.
- Lawsuits – An increasing number of ISP’s track & report the files you download and/or share via P2P programs. This inevitably leads to legal action both for the possession & (worse) distribution of unlawful/unauthorized material (see note on content).
- Illicit/Illegal Content – Often the content of P2P transfers does not match the description. This is done intentionally in order to distribute illegal and/or unsavory content (like snuff films, Malware, & child porn).
Examples of Caustic P2P software:
- Napster, Kazaa, LimeWire, FrostWire
- uTorrent, BitTorrent
- iMesh, FilePipe, LPhant, BearShare
- Sadly, this list is not even close to comprehensive
So wade carefully, and try not to muck about too much.
© 2025 Aeroplankton Enthusiasts Society, All rights reserved.