How does file-sharing affect my PC and network security?
When programs like KaZaa, Ares, Limewire, and Morpheus are downloaded and installed on your computer, they may automaticallly enable file sharing or “uploading” which means that others (on or off-campus) can connect to and download files from your computer as long as it is attached to the network. Your computer has become a ‘server’ or a part of a file-sharing/peer-to-peer (P2P) network on which illegal file sharing is occurring and you may not even be aware of it. File-sharing enables unauthorized users to access a kind of ‘backdoor’ to your computer making it possible for an intruder to see other elements on your computer including your personal files (that may contain your SSN, bank account, research, correspondence, or other critical information.) With your computer attached to the college’s network, you are not only offering yourself on a platter; but you’re also putting the college’s network at risk.
