The use of P2P networks and the corresponding files in Torrent format, were used for decades to share all kinds of files of this type. Users generally use them both in uploading and downloading content in a fluid and secure way.
It is more than likely that many of you associate these types of downloads with the controversy they have created over the years. A part of this is given by certain types of use that some make of these torrent files and their P2P networks. However, it must be borne in mind that the entire set, including the clients that we install on our computer, are totally legal.
What could be considered illegal are certain types of use that some make due to illegally sharing content subject to copyright. However, it must be taken into account that this type of downloads can be carried out with these files, direct downloads, via streaming, etc. Despite all these avenues to download files of any kind, torrent have been in the spotlight due to some of the characteristics that define them. And it is that this type of downloads are especially effective to safeguard our privacy a little more, and to reliably share large files.
In addition to these uses, many companies and end users use these clients and their networks to share totally legal content. Serve as a clear example of all this that a multitude of professional web pages, when downloading the ISO image of an operating system , we have the possibility of downloading it via P2P. This is because these files are usually very large.
Risks of virus infection when downloading torrent
At this point, perhaps many of you can ask about the risks of using these download methods as far as security is concerned. Well, the first thing we should know is that, as with other online routes, these downloads that they run also have their risks. This means that, if we do not take the two appropriate precautions, we can easily become infected after carrying out one of these tasks.
And it is that these malicious codes are usually hidden in some of the content that we download, generally in programs or videos. This is something that can be made especially clear if we use web pages that are somewhat doubtful in terms of their legality. Many malicious users use these video content as bait, for example, with flashy titles, to hide their malware behind a torrent file.
Therefore, at first, the only thing we see before downloading that file from the client is its title. Even once the Torrent file as such is downloaded, it is possible that we find content in AVI , MP4 or EXE format if it is a program, so that we can start it without suspecting anything. However, once we have executed it, the malicious code will start to infect our PC. To avoid this, the best thing we can do is not make use of these types of pages, doubt certain content that is too current, and keep an updated antivirus active.
