Rules Regaring Use of P2P (File Sharing) Software.

[Techmonkey]

From the 13th January 2009 the following rules regarding the use of Peer2Peer software will be in effect.

Use of P2P (Peer to Peer) file sharing programs.

We have noticed that most people seeking help from us are coming with infections contracted from the use of P2P programs.

Because of this, we felt we needed to change our policy on the use of P2P file sharing programs.


* - If your helper detects the presence of such programs on your computer he/she will ask you to remove them. We will withdraw our help should you not agree to their removal.
* - If we clean your computer of infection, and you return to us a short time later with an infection contracted by the use of P2P programes, we will refuse our help.

We do not ask you to do this without reason.

P2P programs form a direct conduit onto your computer, their security measures are easily circumvented, and Malware writers are increasingly exploiting them to spread their wares onto your computer. Further to that, if your P2P program is not configured correctly you may be sharing more files than you realise. There have been cases where people's Passwords, Address Books and other personal, private, and financial details have been exposed to the file sharing network by a badly configured program.

This article from InfoWorld illustrates perfectly the dangers of a poorly configured P2P progam.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/09/0...eft_1.html

Many of the programs come bundled with other unwanted programs, but even the ones free of any bundled software are not safe to use.

When you use them you are downloading software from an unknown source directly onto your computer, bypassing your Firewall and Anti-Virus software. Hardly surprising then that many of these Downloads are being targeted to carry infections.

Similar policies and rules are being implemented at all leading malware removal and HiJackThis support sites. So please understand these rules are not here to hinder you, but are instead here to protect you and help put an end to spread of malware.