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 Peer-to-peer networks: what you should know
January 25, 2005 - Part II
P2P troubles
File obscurity
P2P communication is a very dangerous thing by its nature. Its main goal--to share files across a community network--can result in many cases where participants' computers might be affected. This happens because one can't know for sure what actually lies in files intended for downloading. It is possible that a piece of destructive program code might have gotten into an innocuous file, and an attempt to launch one might result in infecting a machine with a virus, Trojan, spyware/adware, or other nefarious element. Sometimes, when the P2P client software has been installed, its shared folder might by default span the entire hard drive on which other programs are placed, making access to their key components a simple task.
Because the name of every shared file over the P2P network can easily be "spoofed" to impersonate it as a legitimate application, user caution is advised when launching executables obtained from P2P exchangers.
Copyright issues
Another significant issue, the one that buried the infamous Napster community, pertains to the legal aspect of files traded over the P2P networks. Most of the aforementioned P2Ps let users download music and videos for their home collections, and while some of these materials might be free promotional tools advertising new artists and performers, most of the songs and movies traded on P2Ps unfortunately remain pirated or stolen pieces. And of course, the distribution or use of copyrighted materials in some countries is considered a violation of law and is subject to legal action. In one recent story, a number of BitTorrent P2P users received subpoenas for allegedly infringing copyright laws by making the protected content available on the Internet.
Insidious bundles
Another huge problem concerning modern file-swapping programs is the proliferation of various types of malware that comes bundled into freeware versions of major P2P apps. Take Grokster (pretty much unfriendly software), for example. It is simply a nightmare. It not only installs five third-party elements that cannot be deselected when installing the main program, but also secretly installs spyware and possibly an active Trojan horse alongside the program.
Its preinstallation license agreement includes more than a hundred pages of written text, often with conflicting statements, making it practically impossible to figure out what comes with the application. Moreover, after the user has uninstalled every piece of the Grokster program, its main module still "trickles"--that is, tries to access the Internet. Quite amazing! I also was surprised to discover an expensive Internet dialer (more than $2 per minute of connection time) embedded in the BitTorrent program. I really had difficulty removing it and advise users to exert caution when using the program.
Of course, the P2P client by itself isn't immune to possible flaws and software bugs that can be taken advantage of by hackers or other folks from the shady side of the road. Because P2P authors won't voluntarily disclose their program code, only they know what kind of loopholes are hidden in their works. Taking into account multiple versions of P2P software and the hundreds of people who design it, it's no wonder that P2Ps may still be prone to errors and ways to circumvent their defenses.
Benefits of P2Ps
Because peer-to-peer systems use decentralized file-distribution and storage mechanisms with no dedicated servers controlling and routing the traffic, it is easier to combine separate Internet-enabled computers into the communities of equals (peers). With it come all the "benefits" of file-sharing: no restrictions, no dependability and no control. Everyone shares everything he or she wants with the rest of the community. Talented unknown artists and performers can gain easier entry to the people who might get interested in promoting them on the market. New, interesting programs can be distributed much faster and freely; all hard-to-find multimedia materials (like shows or concerts recorded on video) now can be made available to millions of interested people.
All people have to do to make their works available on the Internet is to submit the file to the P2P client's search database. Needless to say, they no longer have to construct their own Web sites to host the materials; they merely need to link their hard disks' contents to the list of available files throughout the network.
With all these pros and cons surrounding P2Ps, it is important to bear in mind a few simple guidelines that will make your P2P work a trouble-free experience.
Read next:
Continue to Part III
Back to Part I
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