A new study conducted by ZapShares Inc. showed that majority of peer-to-peer file-sharing software users were unaware of potential security risks it pose, saying that mere installation of the platform can lead to lawsuits and identity theft.
In a statement, ZapShares also said that majority of the users were unaware that they have already installed the P2P software to their computer systems.
“Very few individuals, based on our study, were able to identify if they have downloaded P2P file-sharing software to their computer. The rest are unwittingly being affected by incidents of identity theft and even lawsuits,” ZapShares President Bernard Trest said.
Based on the study, some 37 percent of the respondent said that they contently allowed the installation of the said software and were fully aware of the consequences.
Trest said that the alarming issue is the fact that some 91 percent of the respondents said that they don’t know has check their P2P software and what files are being shared in the network.
“They also don’t know how to modify the settings that would restrict the files that are being shared in these file-sharing programs,” he added.
Also, the study showed that most of the respondents have at least two or more P2P software installed in their computers. These include Shareaza, Ares, eMule, BitTorrent, Vuze, uTorrent, DC, LimeWire, and FrostWire.
The interviewed individuals said that they are not responsible for the installations of the said software, adding that their child or spouse might be the one who has installed the P2P file-sharing program.
Amazingly, only seven percent said that they are aware of the consequences of having such program in their computer and that they have already calibrated their options to prevent accidental sharing of confidential files.
These confidential files are exactly what cyber criminals need to conduct identity theft since most of the files in people’s computers include personal tax returns, banking or financial information, and credit card information.
ZapShares also revealed that main culprits of such criminal acts were located in countries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.