Torrents tend to be loaded with malware that’s trying to get you to download it. While torrents can be useful for peer-to-peer file sharing, it’s best to exercise a special amount of caution when downloading anything off one. Many torrents are “fake” items that claim to contain one thing but instead contain dangerous malware.

In the pre-Netflix era, torrenting was a popular way to pirate video files for home consumption. While it has declined since the 2000s, BitTorrent traffic is still substantial, due to the possibility of quickly downloading free content. In addition to being illegal due to copyright infringement, torrenting can also expose your device to malware and […]

BitTorrent is a popular way to download content from the internet. It comes with many risks, though, including bandwidth throttling by your ISP and possible malware infection. Use alternatives or, at the very least, guard your activity with a VPN.

Firewalls are staples of enterprise security and they can be useful for individuals, too. A firewall blocks incoming connections, which in some cases may be needed to protect against rogue traffic from apps like BitTorrent clients. Firewall capabilities are built into Windows and macOS.