October 24, 2002
Beware software bearing gifts
Some computer software is like a piece of fruit: It looks good on the outside, and parts of it may taste good, but you always should be on the lookout for the worm.
The latest tempting crate of computer software to arrive, complete with distasteful worms, is file-sharing programs such as KaZaa, LimeWire and Morpheus. Easy to acquire and install, these programs allow a person to make files on their own computer available to other computers on the Internet running the same programs.
A key feature of these programs is that you don’t have to download the files to a server to make them available to others. Files are copied to and from each computer directly in a process called “peer-to-peer” (P2P) networking. More sophisticated P2P products to support workgroups, education and research are under development.
Despite its potential, P2P has acquired a notorious reputation for a number of reasons:
- Many of the files being shared are illegal copies of copyrighted music and video.
- The constant copying back and forth of very large files consumes network capacity.
- Often, people employing file sharing software inadvertently make far more of their files available to the world than they intend to.
- Current file sharing programs sometimes install extra hidden programs, including “spyware” that collects information about your computer and its use.
- It can be difficult to control who accesses your files.
- Some of the file sharing tools can interfere with other programs needed to interact with UW systems for education or work.
Kirk Bailey, manager of strategic computer security services for Computing & Communications, points out that the use of University computers and networks for sharing of pirated software and copyrighted movies, even if a person is unaware that their computer is being used for such purposes, creates liabilities for the institution and individual.
“The University provides high-quality computing and high-bandwidth network services, which are critical to the University’s mission of education, research and outreach,” Bailey says. “Issues of copyright should concern everyone because they affect both the individual user and the operation of the entire network. Careless or inappropriate use of computing resources ultimately can affect the availability of needed services.”
“More sophisticated P2P systems are coming and I am sure they will have their place at the UW,” says Oren Sreebny, C&C assistant director. “At present, however, for most of us sharing files is better done by putting them on a server such as our central Web servers, where someone else is looking after security problems and your own computer is kept safe from unwanted intrusions or burdens.”
User policies and guidelines, and more information about security are available at the following locations: http://www.washington.edu/computing/security/ and http://www.washington.edu/computing/rules/guidelines.html.
