A majority of my service calls have two things in common. A Virus and Limewire. Limewire is a very popular P2P program typically used for sharing music and videos over the internet. Unfortunately, it is unmoderated and many files are mislabeled to get you to download them, where they then reveal their true nature, loading spyware/malware and viri onto unsuspecting users. In the good old days of viri, they simply trashed your operating system, forcing you to reload everything. These days they try to remain undetected, lurking in the background, sending your passwords and other information to some secret server deep in Siberia, or popping up porno ads when Grandma looks up “Whitehouse” on the internet.

Safely using Limeware

While the legality of P2P programs is still being fought over in the courts and Internet Service providers are still struggling under the increased bandwidth useage, Limewire is going to be around, if only because it’s what all the kids like to use. So, with a few tips outlined below, let’s try to at least make it safer to use!

1) Secure your operating system! Securing Windows XP will assist you in securing your Windows XP installation. Windows Vista users should be ok out of the More >