Now, when you go to YouTube, and sites like it, the videos play through a plugin called Flash (which is currently made by Adobe). You need more than that:Ī codec that describes how to decode and play the video. It is important to protect yourself from these things, and while the IP Blocking in Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware will block some of it, it does not go far enough for simple P2P protection. The problem is that while you are using BitTorrent for good things, there could always be people sharing parts of the file who are sending you bad/corrupt data, or any number of other dastardly things. The list of good uses is not endless, but it's much larger than some might think. There are Churches that distribute DVD-quality sermons through BitTorrent. There are people who make free movies and distribute them via BitTorrent. For instance, most Linux distributions are available via BitTorrent. When it comes to something like BitTorrent, then it's not as bad. When it comes to the networks used by things like Limewire, there are really no good reasons to be using them. Is there never a need for P2P filesharing? That depends on which network. When you take this into consideration, you have to assume that most applications and screensavers you download from P2P networks like Limewire are already infected. This sets up a case where viruses, like virut, can easily infect any executables or screensavers that a person is sharing, and often an anti-virus cannot tell that something malicious has been injected into a legitimate application or they are unable to repair the infected application without deleting it (otherwise file injectors like virut would not be an issue). Even if that is the case, you have to remember that there are other people using these filesharing networks who do not understand this. OK, so maybe you don't care that you are sharing your private files all of the time, or that some (if not all) of the content you are sharing is being shared illegally. Worse than that is the fact that they usually install startup items on your computer, which means that whenever your computer is on it is sharing your files, and any files that you have downloaded through these P2P networks. Many P2P applications (such as Limewire/Frostwire) will even automatically start sharing all of your private files without your knowledge, which means you lose all privacy on your own computer, and you could unknowingly become a participant in not only music and media piracy but software piracy as well. Unfortunately, it is also one of the easiest ways for viruses and other malware to spread on the Internet. Peer-2-Peer (P2P) networking is a very common way to share files, and more than that it is the biggest way to pirate music and video on the Internet. Here are several tutorials on how to do this: So, what can you do to guard yourself from this? The best course of action is to disable autorun. The other file is a driver that tells Windows to load the malicious application when you plug in the flash drive. One of the files is a tiny application with a single purpose, which is to infect any computer that the flash drive is plugged into. will copy a couple of files to that flash drive. When you plug a flash drive into an infected computer, many viruses/trojans/etc. Sadly, this convenience comes with a heavy price. At first such a feature seems like a great convenience, because now we never have to go looking through “My Computer” when we want to find the files on something we just plugged in. This extra step is called Microsoft Update, and it must be installed and activated to automatically receive updates to Microsoft products other than Windows itself.Īutorun is that nifty little feature in Windows where, when you put a CD in the drive or plug a Flash drive into a USB port, Windows will look for a driver file that tells it what application to automatically run, and if none is found it gives you a list of options. But when it comes to Microsoft applications, such as Microsoft Office (which contains Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.) you need to take an extra step before you will automatically receive updates for them, even if you have Windows Update set to automatic. ![]() Both Opera and Firefox will download and install updates automatically (with advanced settings to tweak how they do it). For instance, will tell you that a new update is available, and ask you if you want to download it. Most of these applications have update notifications of some sort. Not just Windows, but also the various applications you use on a daily basis, such as your web browser, your plugins and extensions for your web browser, your instant messaging clients, your e-mail client, your office suite, and of course any and all security software that you have. It is very important to keep your software updated.
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