The New meaning of P2P
I am writing this article to encourage the budding engineers out there to take concrete and meaningful steps to address the serious risks posed to our culture and to the entire humanity by today’s peer-to-peer (“P2P”) file-sharing technology. My concern here is to address issues relating problems of today as the use of P2P Networks to disseminate pornography invade privacy and infringe copyrights, P2P software may one day realize its potential as a means for facilitating a wide range of collaborative, project management, business planning, and academic/education activities. At present, P2P software has too many times been hijacked by those who use it for illegal purposes to which the vast majority of today’s computer users do not wish to be exposed.The users need to be provided with the information necessary to understand this Technology and to make informed decisions concerning its use. P2P file-sharing technology works by allowing consumers to download free software that enables them to directly share files stored on their hard drive with other users. This type of direct access to one’s computer differentiates P2P file-sharing technology from garden-variety e-mail accounts and commercial search engines such as Google and Yahoo.
One substantial and ever-growing use of P2P software is as a method of disseminating Pornography, including child pornography. While at least some of today’s so called top companies do provide “filters” to help screen out unwanted files, including presumably those containing pornography, those filters appear to work by focusing on language in the file’s description or the file’s title rather than on the file’s content. P2P users interested in disseminating and receiving offensive or illegal material, such as child pornography, can simply use an innocuous file title and/or description in order to bypass those filters. Consequently, P2P users need to be made aware that they are exposing themselves, and their children, to widespread availability of pornographic material when they download and install P2P file-sharing programs on their computers.
Furthermore, P2P file-sharing technology can allow its users to access the files of other Users, even when the computer is “off” if the computer itself is connected to the Internet via Broadband. P2P users, including both home users and small businesses, who do not properly understand this software have inadvertently given other P2P users access to tax returns, medical files, financial records, personal e- mail, and confidential documents stored on their computers. Combating identity theft is the main priority , and government of our country has enacted slow motion laws to stop it. Consequently, P2P users need to be properly educated so that they will not inadvertently share personal files on their hard drives with other users of your P2P file-sharing technology.
Furthermore, P2P file-sharing technology can allow its users to access the files of other Users, even when the computer is “off” if the computer itself is connected to the Internet via Broadband. P2P users, including both home users and small businesses, who do not properly understand this software have inadvertently given other P2P users access to tax returns, medical files, financial records, personal e- mail, and confidential documents stored on their computers. Combating identity theft is the main priority , and government of our country has enacted slow motion laws to stop it. Consequently, P2P users need to be properly educated so that they will not inadvertently share personal files on their hard drives with other users of your P2P file-sharing technology.
P2P file-sharing programs also are being used to illegally trade copyrighted music, movies, software, and video games, contributing to economic losses. Being quite a download freak myself I gave up P2P for downloading movies and other copyrighted material after I hitting a massive ONE TERABYTE download. The Business Software Alliance estimates that its members lost $13 billion in revenue last year due to software piracy. According to a January 2007 CNN article, “U.S. software companies lose up to $170 billion a year in piracy according to the Software and Information Industry Association. Music companies lost more than $46 billion worldwide last year, according to the RIAA [Recording Industry Association of America] ”.
Also viewing the reports that P2P software is being used as a means of transmitting unwanted spyware and adware that is bundled with the P2P software. Spyware aids an individual or a corporation in gathering information about P2P users without their consent or in asserting control over P2P users’ computers without their consent. We hope that at least some P2P file-sharing services add encryption features to those services. The addition of such encryption features will make it more difficult, if not impossible, for law enforcement to police users of P2P technology in order to prosecute crimes such as child pornography. Encryption only reinforces the perception that P2P technology is being used primarily for illegal ends.
Every time a new communications medium is presented, pornography and erotica seem to be distributed using it. Unfortunately, we live in times in which there are people in positions of political and legal influence who believe that they should be able to define what is and is not proper, and furthermore restrict access to that material. We have also heard of cases in which people have had their computers confiscated for having a computer image on disk, which they were unaware was present, that depicted activities that someone decided violated "community standards." There have also been cases where individuals have been convicted of pornography charges, even though the material was not considered obscene where the system was normally accessed. And last of all, you can be in serious legal trouble for simply FTPing an image of a naked minor, even if you don't know what is in the image at the time you fetch it.
We should also point out that as part of any sensible security administration, you should know what you have on your computer, and why. Keep track of who is accessing material you provide, and beware of unauthorized use.
And on an ending note I would like to say that it is the duty of today’s youth to see to that the technology is not misused because it will take us in the direction we want it to go.
Also viewing the reports that P2P software is being used as a means of transmitting unwanted spyware and adware that is bundled with the P2P software. Spyware aids an individual or a corporation in gathering information about P2P users without their consent or in asserting control over P2P users’ computers without their consent. We hope that at least some P2P file-sharing services add encryption features to those services. The addition of such encryption features will make it more difficult, if not impossible, for law enforcement to police users of P2P technology in order to prosecute crimes such as child pornography. Encryption only reinforces the perception that P2P technology is being used primarily for illegal ends.
Every time a new communications medium is presented, pornography and erotica seem to be distributed using it. Unfortunately, we live in times in which there are people in positions of political and legal influence who believe that they should be able to define what is and is not proper, and furthermore restrict access to that material. We have also heard of cases in which people have had their computers confiscated for having a computer image on disk, which they were unaware was present, that depicted activities that someone decided violated "community standards." There have also been cases where individuals have been convicted of pornography charges, even though the material was not considered obscene where the system was normally accessed. And last of all, you can be in serious legal trouble for simply FTPing an image of a naked minor, even if you don't know what is in the image at the time you fetch it.
We should also point out that as part of any sensible security administration, you should know what you have on your computer, and why. Keep track of who is accessing material you provide, and beware of unauthorized use.
And on an ending note I would like to say that it is the duty of today’s youth to see to that the technology is not misused because it will take us in the direction we want it to go.
please step forward to put an end to this ...
ajay
ajay
