Protecting Your PC from Spyware When Downloading Music

Getting free mp3 music from file sharing programs is extremely popular with scores of online music lovers. But have you ever thought about the spyware risks involved in scoring mp3 downloadable music from these file sharing programs? Many popular file sharing programs, like Morpheus and Kazaa, are bundled with spyware that is hidden within the recesses of the program files. Once you install the software and start sharing files with other users in the P2P network, the spyware goes to work in stealth mode. It monitors and reports your online activities, bugs the heck out of you with pop-up ads, slows down your computer or can even hijack valuable confidential data stored on your PC. In this article, you will discover 4 tips to help you guard against these spyware attacks when downloading free mp3 music from file sharing programs.

The following 4 common sense tips will help you protect your computer and your important computer files while you get your favorite mp3 downloadable music from file sharing programs:

Your best defense against PC spyware is a good spyware software remover. Before you download another music file or install any P2P client software, you should get yourself a good spyware removal program like Spyware Doctor. To eliminate adware, you should download the free personal edition of Adware - SE. To guard against computer viruses, Trojans, hackers and worms, get an effective anti-virus software program like Norton, McAfee or Kaspersky. Regularly run the spyware and adware remover tools once a week. Be sure you keep your anti-spyware definitions up to date.

Take the time to learn all you can about a P2P client software before you download and install it. Why? The most popular file sharing programs are open source and as I mentioned earlier, they may be bundled with spyware and adware. Therefore, you want to know all you can about the software in advance. An excellent source of information on P2P programs is CNet's Download.com. It would also be a good idea to read and thoroughly analyze the EULA (end user licensing agreement) before installing the software to see if there are any references to sharing data and/or tracking, which may be an indicator for adware.

You must exercise extreme care when installing file sharing software. Make sure you check the right settings on the install, otherwise you could unintentionally open access to files you don't want to share with other users in the P2P network. Be careful not to designate the root "C:" drive as the designated file sharing folder! If you choose the "C:" as the designated file sharing folder, you will expose every file and folder on your hard drive to users on the P2P network.

Treat every file on the P2P network with suspicion because you have no way of knowing for sure that any file is what it says it is. Before you download any mp3 music files, scan it with your spyware removal software and anti-virus protection tool. Avoid downloading small files and stay away from any music files with .exe extensions. From what you've read in this article, it should be clear that mp3 music downloads from file sharing programs expose your computer to potentially serious risks. To protect your system and its files you should obtain a good spyware remover and run it on a regular basis. You can further protect your PC by learning all you can about a P2P client software prior to downloading and installing it. You need to be very careful when you do install these file sharing programs and any files from the P2P network. By taking the threat to your computer's security seriously and implementing the 4 tips provided in this article, you will be able to better protect your PC from spyware attacks when you get mp3 downloadable music from file sharing programs.