The perils of sharing
Steve Mansfield-Devine · Network Security · 2010
Filesharing technologies, using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, are shaping up to be one of the major threats of the coming year. They're being exploited to spread malware , through deliberately infected or modified versions of proprietary software and by the use of P2P mechanisms for botnet command and control systems. Filesharing networks are also rich hunting grounds for data thieves looking for personal information, in order to commit identity theft, or for confidential files. Attempts to limit or eliminate P2P networks – for example, through laws restricting their use – could just drive the problem underground, with filesharers adopting VPN and other encryption or masking technologies. Filesharing technologies, using peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, are shaping up to be one of the major threats of the coming year. They're being exploited to spread and control malware and steal data. And attempts to limit or eliminate them could just drive the problem underground.