P2P networks threaten home PC security

‘Giving criminals the keys to your computer’
Just this month, a Seattle man was charged with identity theft in a case that illustrates just how glaring such vulnerabilities are.

The man, Gregory Kopiloff, used LimeWire, the same software used by the Olsons, to dig into hundreds of hard drives, prosecutors said. He was accused of harvesting tax returns and student aid forms from at least 83 people and buying $73,000 in merchandise through fake credit card accounts he set up using the data.

Investigators said most of the victims had teenage children and did not know the software was even on their computers.

“If you are running file-sharing software, you are giving criminals the keys to your computer,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Warma said. “Criminals are getting access to incredibly valuable information.”

Not fully understanding the P2P risks can also open the door for others to use your hard drive to hide evidence of their own crimes.

“If you’ve got a machine, do you know what’s in every directory on your machine?” Spafford asked. “Probably not.

“These criminals will take those machines and store the contraband material on them, because they know if a warrant is served on their home and they’re found with that on their disk, they can be prosecuted.”

Getting hit with the news that you’re a victim of identity theft is becoming more common. The Federal Trade Commission says as many as 9 million Americans’ identities are stolen every year.

So how do you protect your computer files from P2P identity theft? Know what’s installed on your computer, and take the time to look at the security settings.

Tami Olson said she had learned the lesson.

“Obviously, I’m going to be more careful about what I store in my computer,” she said. “If my kids are going to download in the future, I want to be there. I want to read what they’re downloading.”

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