Limewire issue

[mollymouse]

Hi-
I just bought a new computer and wanted to put some music on it. A friend suggested Limewire and I used it. Now on the news I heard that your identity could be stolen by using these types of programs. I uninstalled Limewire but the songs are still in my playlist. Should I delete everything, all the songs? Is there a safe place to download music?

Thanks

[Pacman]

Peer-to-peer software itself isn't the problem, it's the files that you download that could be risky. The problem is that you're a downloading from a source that you don't necessarily know or trust. It's possible that a malicious individual could include malware such as trojans or keyloggers in a download. These could then (potentially) lead to identity theft or your machine being turned into a zombie in someone's botnet.

Generally speaking, never use P2P to download install software unless you know how to check that the files are unmodified (such as getting an MD5 hash from a trusted source). Data files such as mp3s should be a lot safer, but if you're worried check the feedback from other users on the tracker site that you got the torrent file from. If the files are suspicious people will report it pretty quickly. If you're using Windows make sure your antivirus is up to date and scan the files you've downloaded.

If you're still worried about security, consider switching to a more secure operating system, such as Linux.

The safest place to download music is from a legit online store. I recommend Amazon, since their music doesn't have DRM (stay away from iTunes!)

[drmaul]

Hi-
I just bought a new computer and wanted to put some music on it. A friend suggested Limewire and I used it. Now on the news I heard that your identity could be stolen by using these types of programs. I uninstalled Limewire but the songs are still in my playlist. Should I delete everything, all the songs? Is there a safe place to download music?

Thanks

When I find a pc with Limewire on it, basically, it's an FDISK, FORMAT and REINSTALL the OS. Remember, it's free for a reason! It's best to pay for subscription music service (Yahoo, Rhapsody, etc) or go to Itunes store.

I would say something about Linux.....but that would start a flamewar!:fear

[mollymouse]

Thanks for the feedback. This is new to me but I sure enjoy finding all the music I want. I'll just have to bit the bullet and pay for it.

[Pacman]

Remember, it's free for a reason!

That's not true, a lot of free software is better than the commercial versions. Opera and Firefox are both better than IE, for example. A lot of great software uses a business model that doesn't ask for money up front.

A lot of the torrent clients are quite dodgy though. Vuze (aka Azureus) is very capable, but getting quite bloated and has a lot of features most people never use. I'd recommend Deluge (Win/Mac/Linux) and Transmission (Mac/Linux). Frostwire is a good free fork of Limewire that should be a lot more trustworthy, too.

[drmaul]

That's not true, a lot of free software is better than the commercial versions. Opera and Firefox are both better than IE, for example. A lot of great software uses a business model that doesn't ask for money up front.

A lot of the torrent clients are quite dodgy though. Vuze (aka Azureus) is very capable, but getting quite bloated and has a lot of features most people never use. I'd recommend Deluge (Win/Mac/Linux) and Transmission (Mac/Linux). Frostwire is a good free fork of Limewire that should be a lot more trustworthy, too.

Let me clarify---

For home users, if you want ID theft, Trojans, Hacks, Keyboard loggers, etc.,etc., you run the risk and I might add a very high risk of a system compromise. And yes, corporate networks can be easily compromised,
Info Week article on Limewire and Justice Breyer http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208808240

Bottom Line--- There's no free ride, you do get what you pay for!

[Pacman]

If you actually read that article, it just reiterates what I said in my first post. Don't run executables obtained from a P2P network, and exercise caution.

Now, I wouldn't use Limewire myself, but there are any number of free torrent clients that are great. There have also been some terrible ones over the years, loaded with spyware.

As for security costing money, total cost of the operating system and apps on my machine is zero (all 100% legal, I might add), and I can guarantee that it's more secure than any Windows box, no matter how much money you spend on it. More money = more security is a misconception that the security companies are keen to perpetuate.

[drmaul]

.....and I can guarantee that it's more secure than any Windows box, no matter how much money you spend on it.


:thinking