The Downside of Warez and Torrents

P2P sharing and warez have swept the globe with a increasingly growing trend. It's hard to come across some one to day who actually has not downloaded something illegally. However im not here to gripe at you for it or judge you. Im am here to share with you how dangerous torrents and warez can actually be to your computer. When I say dangerous I do not mean it in a "legal" way, but dangerous to a computer. I also want to mention that this is mainly geared toward downloading apps and software through torrents or warez.

note. This article in no way conducts downloading warez or torrents illegally.

Why are torrents and warez harmful to my PC?

The main reason downloading files via torrents or warez is dangerous is because it compromises the security of your PC. It is as simple as that. You don't know what actually is in that file your downloading. You may say well hey I scanned it with my anti-virus software its clean! Is it? Did you know hackers that are out to steal passwords, bank accounts, credit cards, and other important information use torrents as a way to spread their viruses and worms. In the hacking world there is something called "FUD". FUD stands for "fully undetectable", meaning anti-virus software cannot detect the virus or other malicious program inside. FUD is not just undetectable to "free" anti-viruses programs but even to premium anti-virus software such as ESET NOD32 or Kaspersky.

Now that you know that viruses and other malicious programs can be fully undetected by anti-virus software even when it states the file is clean, you probably feel a bit of fear. I know I sure did when I first found out. The scary thing is that most people have no idea about this fact. They continue to infest their own computers with viruses and do not know where the viruses are coming from.

Not only could those files be virus ridden, they also could have "bugware" or "scareware" hidden in them, or other malicious files. Scareware is a type of software that acts very similar to viruses, however scareware is usually in the form a fake "anti-virus" program that gets installed on your PC with out you even knowing it. It will not only trash your whole computer but also bug you to death until you purchase the software or re-install windows. Some of you may have already been a victim of "scareware" and know how much of a pain it is. It is something you want to avoid at all costs.

How can I keep myself safe?

Easy, don't download any software or applications from torrent or warez sites. Simple as that, if you don't like paying for software try and open-source alternative its free and guaranteed no viruses, scareware, or any other malicious programs inside. Make sure your anti-virus program is always up-to-date, it would not hurt to have an anti-malware program either.

Recommend source for free open-source software Sourceforge.net