Spyware, viruses, & security forum: BIT TORRENT IS VIRUS

T_T it is the best way to get the videos and games i want i know its insacure but avg is good as a securaty programme right?

yes i understand,but i did a test i deleted the programme,and re-downloaded it just to make sure it wasent a small piece of coded infected by a current download and rate affter installuation avg picked up viral activaty if it was just my computer then i over reacated but if it is a small scame of viral infection i want the word to be sperd out

ther in the valt:
trojan hoarsePSW.Generic2.AOK
trojan hoarse dropper.Generic.DZD
trojan hoarse downloader.Zlob.AMX

yea I did a scan when I had bit torrent installed and spy sweeper detected it as spyware although AVG never detected it as being a virus.

I'll tell ya what, I'm not going to stop getting all the free material I get because of some virus. I realise that p2p and bittorrent are sometimes risky, but until they can tell my monitor to self destruct, or kick my dog and kill my cat, the risk is so minimal.

> Hope this helps.

It doesn't, Grif, when you're not talking about apples to apples. BitTorrent itself is not a problem. It is open-source software and an open-source peer-to-peer networking protocol. As this is a "Virus & Security" forum, it is not helpful to fan the flames of FUD.

I use BitTorrent over at bt.etree.org to upload/download legal recordings of live concerts. There is nothing "always" risky about it. This isn't to say that BT can't be used for nefarious purposes, but it is quite a reach to state that it is outright to be avoided. That's patently false.

You'd do well to note that while the RIAA is going after KaZaa and its users, the motion picture industry has inked deals with Braam Cohen, the founder of BitTorrent, to work on legal distribution of visual media.

I hope *this* helps.

Apples to Apples:

Bit Torrent is not the holier-than-though service you propose. Yep, BRAM Cohen is one sharp dude (although definitely unusual), but believe me, I've made a fair amount of change cleaning up user's computers that use BT exclusively..BT succeeds because users are provided with a good quality program that gives access to free, downloadable content on the net, whether that be copyrighted or not:

BitTorrent Whiz Extolled Piracy?

The RIAA negotiation with Bit Torrent, among other reasons, was basically to avoid pursueing further legal action. .

But please don't let this discussion sink to something about copyright issues. That's not my main point.

If you'll read my post above, although I linked to the KaZaa thread at McAfee's forum, I referred to P2P as a whole.. Whether you personally use BT to download copyrighted materials, or NOT, is immaterial.. The fact that ALL users of ALL P2P software are downloading/sharing files with the "unknowns" of the world is the key point.

Through experience with the product, you believe you've found a safe Torrent site to download legal files. You've managed your risk to the point that you think it negligible.. Unfortunately, not all users get a chance or even want a chance to get that far. If a song or movie is available from a particular location, it gets' downloaded, good or bad, and many suffer the consequences.. Suffice it to say, next to e-mail, P2P file sharing programs spread the most viruses and spyware. (And Bit Torret IS a P2P file sharing program.)

Hope this helps.

Grif

Could you please work on writing so it can be read? My gosh, can you even understand your own writing? Ugh!

BitTorrent is (1) a peer-to-peer network protocol specification and (2) the name of the original program that implemented that protocol. It is by no means a virus in and of itself.

It is possible that one of the archives distributing a BitTorrent program is infected with a virus, yes, but to offer a blanket "IT'S A VIRUS! RUN FOR THE HILLS AND HIDE YOUR WIMMIN-FOLK AN' CHILLEN WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!" message is just nonsense and not at all helpful.

Supply the name and size of the file archive you downloaded that caused you the trouble. Also supply the source of that file. Chicken-Little messages aren't helpful and only serve to alarm people without giving them real facts with which to work.

What are you trying to say exactly? That BitTorrent is a virus? First, BitTorrent is a technology, not a program or for that matter a virus.

I think you should try to express yourself more clearly next time and don't CAPS if you want anyone to take your post serious.

Fun to chat with you, Grif. Enjoyed it a lot. Not to poo-poo the risks, you know. I spent 2 hours cleaning spy-/malware off of my wife's machine after catching her mindlessly clicking OK on an "Install this ActiveX control" dialog at some site on Sunday. Joy. *GRINS*

trane (awfully glad to no longer officially work in IT)

thanks,but i give up this is uslass if its not a relevent topic so dont botther posting anymore

While I can see your point that you can't spell very well and must be frustrating to say the least, I apologize as I didn't understand what you meant here.

Did you mean download.com's sites were giving malicious viral software or BT's connecting sites? Which download did you mean was infected? I truly want to know for my own informational purposes.

You seem a bit frustrated but if you are getting viruses from somewhere, it's good to let people know.

Thanks, Paul