| > Throwing my two cents Zip & Rar folders should be ok IF scanned |
first by a reputable high quality Virus Checker....
I think it is worth pointing out a difference between downloading .MP3 or .AVI /.MP4 etc media files from torrent sources (or on-line file stores) compared to any PC / mobile-phone application.
If you are using a good media player that does not have a history of vulnerabilities you are not exposing yourself/your PC to malicious attacks.
Good media player = VLC. (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html)
Bad media player = Windows Media Player. (It is vulnerable to codec attacks)
In the torrenting world you might encounter a programme that when downloaded/played reports that it needs a special codec to play. This is a scam - just delete it and move on.
If you use VLC to play the file it will either play perfectly or the file is duff. Delete the duff file and move on. If you are a good member of an on-line community you will report the offending
file to the site moderators.
I don't scan MP3/AVI etc. as I will only play them with VLC
The worst I experience is a video message suggesting I visit a web-site to get the "special" media-player or download a "special" codec - these are scams, delete the file and move on.
When downloading computer programs if they are packed in RAR, ZIP etc or just plain .EXE etc. you are wise to apply brain before clicking away like crazy. You do need to consider the source, who has uploaded the program. Most torrent sites will show the member's history and their status. Some sites have badges of merit like "Trusted Uploader", "Moderators" or "Super User" etc. By looking at the status of the uploader you can generally guess if their torrent is good or bad.
So be picky before jumping in and read the feedback from others first.
Everyone was a newbie at one time so to give them a chance some of us (yes I am a senior member on a
few torrent sites) use our skills to assess and prune out the bad from the innocent, why? It's a service to the wider P2P community and helps the sites I belong to, it also helps protect the newbies coming into the P2P world by removing the malicious torrents.
So if you engage brain before keyboard you will have a good torrenting experience.
But it's not for everyone that lacks clear thought and self-control.
Kaspersky is good but it is wise not to put all your security trust in one product.