Posted on November 23, 2020 at 6:49 AM

A Brief Guide On Ensuring Safety During P2P File Sharing

First things first, what is P2P file sharing? It is a peer to peer networking technology that enables it’s users to share files such as music, PDFs, video games, photos, movies, etc. With this form of networking, there are no centralized servers where content can be stored, downloaded or uploaded. This makes it a bit riskier, because malware can be easily spread as users share files between them. 

Now that a significant percentage (20% of US adults back in April 2020) of employees are working remotely due to Covid-19 pandemic, it calls for utmost safety when sharing files online through P2P. It also looks like working from home has already been normalized, making online safety matter more than before. This takes us to the question, how do you ensure safety with P2P file sharing? Read on to find out.

Only Use Legal File Sharing Software

The last thing you want to experience while sharing files online is being a recipient of pirated material which may come with consequences such as being stricken with copyright lawsuits. There is a lot of pirated content in circulation online today, and as much as most of it is available freely, don’t be tempted to be part of it because you may face prosecution in the process. 

Using a legally trusted P2P sharing software ensures that you are dealing with the right content, and you should strive for that because for example, you could be fired from your company once found guilty of using their computing resources to deal with illegally obtained files that put a stain on their reputation.

Use A VPN

Got business data that requires protection at all costs? Using a VPN will enable you to safeguard your business data even with all the P2P file sharing, because it makes it hard for outsiders, competitors, or hackers to intercept a VPN network. You will however, need a reputable VPN that guarantees top notch security because not all of them offer what their developers drum them to. Utilize a VPN testing tool to weigh the reliability of a VPN before committing to one. A company that utilizes a VPN makes it easier for employees working remotely to share files with less worries about being hacked.

Get a Security Tool in Place

You can call them security tools, antivirus or even network firewalls and their main objective is to protect your computer from malware that could accompany shared files. This they do by detecting and scanning your files to destroy any present malware. Firewalls on the other hand detect malicious files before they even get to your computer, giving you a chance to cancel or abort a file download way before it reaches your computer’s storage.

Educate Family Members

This is only applicable if you are sharing a computer with other members of your family. Some of them may never understand the importance of safe P2P file sharing, and that is why you need them enlightened on the issue so that all of you are operating from the same book. Teenagers for example, are mostly into video games and music, and for that reason you need to ensure that they are downloading or sharing files from reputable sources. 

Check Online Review and Ratings of File Sharing Software

Sometimes it helps to see what other users have to say about the software or even site you are about to use. Sparing time to take a look at reviews and ratings from trusted file sharing software review sites could be all you need to land a reliable and trusted file sharing software/site. This review for instance has a list of websites that can be trusted for torrenting purposes. If a file sharing software or site turns out excellent, share your feedback to help out other potential users too.