Bit Torrent - Safe or not ?

Using it for downloading legitimate files such as Linux distros is completely safe and you should not be concerned. Using it for downloading files from unknown locations etc. may result in trojans/viruses etc and downloading copyrighted material of course is bad, m'kay?
 
MikeTimbers has hit it on the head - anything that isn't legal will have a good chance of being loaded with hidden extras - be it a virus, trojan, bot, or PPI stuff.
 
m'kay, Mikey !
Thanks - it sounds much like I imagined then - slightly risky, and I don't want the sweeney busting my a**e for downloading that Debbie Does film....
Is limewire the same sort of thing ?
 
Torrents are safe, aslong as you know what your downloading, and its nearly impossible to get a virus from a torrent as you look for the torrents which have loads of loads of downloaded already so you know its real.
 
Bittorrent is as safe as any other method of internet communication.
The software/files you download are more likely to cause you problems.
 
Just virus check/antispy scan with fully updated malware clients the files that you have downloaded before running them to get an idea if they come with anything bad.

Often it is wise to check comments on any Linux Distro's you are downloading incase there are reports that it doesn't work, got viruses, etc, etc
 
Almost all software obtained via bittorrent from common tracker sites like Piratebay are just that, pirate.
You know this, don't feign ignorance.
The chances they contain viruses et al are high.

If you store any personal information on your desktop machine, like bank account logins, you are putting yourself at risk when installing hooky software. Regardless of whether you're running the latest AV/Antispyware/whatever crap you think you need.

If you are going do download executable content from anywhere make sure the source is reliable and you check the hash value of the downloaded content.
 
If you can find the hash of the file you're downloading you can pretty much guarantee it's fine.

If you stick to downloading legitimate files then you'll be fine. I'd be more worried about the bittorrent client itself.
 
So how do you knowif a file is legitimate ? How about finding out if a source is reliable ?
I am not after loads of free stuff, as clearly there is a lot more to it than I understand, and I have too much on my hard drives to risk any problems.
Sounds like this is all too much for my lilttle brain.
 
Simple rule, look for files with seeds, and read the comments. If something has a virus/malware you can tell as few people will seed and comments will be left.
 
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