A few days ago, I ran a few tests on peer to peer downloads, on the off chance that things had improved in this malware infested playground. No such luck, of course.
Of the five game files that I downloaded, every one came packed with a Trojan downloader, which, had I installed any of these applications, would have wrecked havoc on my test machine.
In a nutshell, that’s the main problem with public peer to peer file sharing. The chances are high, that you will not get what you think you will, and you will get what you don’t think you will.
Additional issues (but not the only issues) are:
Privacy: When you are connected to file-sharing programs, you may unintentionally allow others to copy confidential files you did not intend to share.
Spyware: There’s a chance that the file-sharing program you’re using has installed other software known as spyware to your computer’s operating system. I can assure you that spyware can be difficult to detect and remove.
So what’s a fellow to do who enjoys file sharing, and who doesn’t want to be burned by the cybercriminals who skulk on public file sharing networks, searching for victims?
A terrific solution to this quandary is a free application from GigaTribe. An application which is designed to create a private network between you, and your friends, relatives, co-workers, or, whomever you choose.
If you have every used peer to peer software, then you’ll find no learning curve involved in using GigaTribe – it’s functional, efficient, attractive, and “follow the bouncing ball” intuitive.
How much more simply can it be than this:
The following graphic is from the publisher’s site.
Fast facts:
GigaTribe has more than 1, 600,000 users.
Its unique technology has been developed by talented programmers with a strong history in the software industry.There are no limitations on quantity or file size.
All your files are kept on your hard drive, eliminating the need to transfer them to an external server.Files are available in their original format.
In just a few clicks, you can share and also find files as if you were in a virtual library. You will see files as they were organized on the hard drive, and you can download them in their original format.You don’t waste time uploading files.
Once you select which folders you want to share, the contents of those folders are instantly accessible to your friends.Your files remain yours!
Files you have decided to share are not saved on another company’s equipment. You keep your data under your control.It´s a two-way sharing service.
Each contact can both share and download. You decide which content is worth downloading among the files available to you.You may invite up to 500 friends.
Transfer automatically resumes.
If a download is interrupted (for example, if a contact goes offline), the transfer automatically resumes with no loss of data when your contact comes back online.Security is, of course, GigaTribe´s major concern.
Only the people you have invited can see your files. Only the folders you have selected are visible to your contacts. Every exchange is strongly encrypted – No one can see what is being shared.
Downloads are encrypted (Blowfish 256-bit).
As an added bonus, users’ can create profiles, and have access to personal chat and a private blog, all from within the program. Now that’s cool!
According to the developers, GigaTribe (although I haven’t tested this), can also be used to access your PC from a remote location.
System requirements: Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, Server 2008, Windows 7. (no indication on the publisher’s site of x64 compatibility).
Languages: English, Español, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, Português
Download at: Gigatribe
It’s not often that I can rate an application 100%, but GigaTribe comes very close. A superb application! If you’re into private file sharing, or it’s something that you’ve considered, then give GigaTribe a whirl – I think you’ll be glad you did.
For additional information checkout the developer’s FAQ.
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Hi Bill,
With such a ringing endorsement how could I not give it a try? Will let you know how it goes with my 64bit processor. Might not be for a few days though, as I have an ongoing issue with Java on the PC. Would not bother too much except it is preventing use of Open Office. As it is mainly my wife’s machine you will understand it must be given priority.
Happy days!
Kind regards
Hi john,
I’ve switched over to LibreOffice which also requires Java.
Take a look to see if Java has a repair capability. If not, you might consider an uninstall/reinstall.
Best,
Bill
Hi Bill,
Thanks for your suggestion. The uninstall/reinstall is where I’m having the problem. I uninstalled using Revo, followed by a scan of leftover files. I then did a run of CCCleaner including the registry. After rebooting I attempted a reinstall of Java and got a message saying Java was previously installed and did I want to install again. When I clicked yes the message was “this only applies to previously installed software” and I had to cancel the install. I suspect that something was left in the registry despite my efforts to clean it out. May require removing manually, which I’m a bit wary of. Anyway, will have another go tomorrow.
Kind regards
John
Hi John,
Took a look at this on the Web. Seems to be a problem which Windows Installer CleanUp Utility can resolve.
Good luck.
Bill
Hi Bill,
Thanks for taking the trouble to find this. I ran it and removed all Java entries. Unfortunately, when I tried to reinstall Java, I got the same messages and the installation stopped.
Will have to come back to this in a week or so. Will probably do a system rollback to see if that helps.
Thanks again.
Kind regards
John
Hi John,
Good luck. What an annoying problem.
Best,
Bill