When we surf the Internet, we submit to different computer riskss, including attacks on our personal data, because these, they are the target of cybercriminals.
Among the different threats are Peer-to-Peer technologies or also known as P2P, whose behavior and definition of what it really is, you we will explain in the next section of this article.
If you think that this technology cannot be considered as a threat, then you should not leave here without reading this full post, since We will explain why we consider ourselves this way, and the risks you face when you use them.
What is a P2P network and how is information distributed in them?
The name of P2P network, comes from its acronym in English Peer-to-Peer, which refers to a group of computers that are connected to each other, without the need for the existence of clients, or fixed servers.
The connections of this technology are made through nodes, whose behaviors match each other, fulfilling the role of client and server, so that it can be carried out with the standards for connection sharing. All computers connected through these networks, They can share any type of information, regardless of the format they want to transmit. These networks generally work in an overlapping manner, using the Internet networks of other computers as a basis.
Its structure and form of connection are so independent of any other medium, that nowadays is used as the way to exchange records illegally marked by copyright, this being the cause of the pirated content. Just as they are connections that can be of great help, they can also seriously damage our identity, because they take advantage of our bandwidth to improve the performance of your downloads.
In other words, they use our connection, to benefit others. The process occurs when we try to download or we are directly connected to the network, whose connection can also be used to extract information from our computers without us being aware of it. These networks have also provided a great benefit to the world of technology, it is through it that audios, videos, or software are sent. Also, it is currently used to calls over IP, known as VoIP.
List of the main threats to data security in P2P networks
exist many threats in the digital world and that of P2P networks It’s not something new, but still is considered highly lethal, for the security of our data. More and more methods are being used by cybercriminals to steal information through this type of connection.
The main ones are the following:
Confidential data leak
Because the P2P networks use our band server for the transmission of information, there are different assets that are compromised during the process, including our confidential information, the cloning or leakage of which can be really harmful. This is also based on the permissions that our system provide attackers, that is, those accesses that we allow to download or connect to the Peer-to-Peer network. Whether consciously or not, the result will be the same.
Copyright violation
Although, the laws currently exclude us from penalties for being part of the spread of content in an illegal way, it remains a risk for everyone involved in the process. On many occasions these files are infected, just waiting for us to execute them to damage our system. We call these actions, the price of free-illegal.
Resource consumption
As we have already explained in the course of the lesson, Peer-to-Peer technologies consist in the use of broadband among its users, so that it can guarantee a fast download, but at the same time it causes a collapse in it. In other words, our Internet connection service will be fully occupied to respond quickly to other requests, because this it is the only way for files to be shared.
Access control
Technologies P2P, they use mechanisms to take control of network access, leaving us for a moment totally excluded from our connections. Although this occurs in more serious cases, when we use BitTorrent clients or another.
Data retention
These connections P2P have as a kind of secondary effect the retention of data, converting our computer and connections at an almost impossible point to record or audit the processes.
Malware
Although we already mentioned malicious code, we want to emphasize it, since it is the technique and threat more frequent when we make use of P2P connections. Many of these infections they cannot be detected during their execution, so it is recommended to analyze our systems daily, to achieve their isolation and expulsion, because if not, these take advantage of our flaws and vulnerabilities, to take control of the entire computer.
Waste of time
Although this is one of the milder threats, we can’t go without mentioning her. Because our server is saturated, and depending on the capacity of our computer, its operation may crash, preventing us from developing other tasks.
Botnets
This is one of the most dangerous threats, since we can face a network of infected computers, allowing a external take remote control, of all our activities and information. As we know, the main target of all attackers is our data and information, and the more they can extract, the greater their benefit, damaging our integrity, or that of our company.
The most secure and reliable P2P networks to store data
There are platforms today that are recommended for their confidentiality and security when managing data and processes.
Here are five of the most secure, reliable and legal Peer-to-Peer servers:
HodlHodl.com
With Hodl Hodl, we can do the exchanges of our bitcoin coins in a safe way, since it works as an intermediary, between our digital wallets, to send the asset without losses. All exchange processes are done in a safer way, without the need for trace parameters, or AML or KYC requirements. In addition, it includes the function, for new users to perform test operations without your actual funds are involved.
LocalCoinSwap.com
This platform like the previous one allows us to buy and sell cryptocurrencies in a safe way. Although it meets most of the characteristics of Hold holdIt has a difference, and that is that it does not work as an intermediary server, but as a wallet.
JustBeamIt.com
Setting aside the P2P platforms for bitcoin a bit, we bring JustBeamlt, whose objective is to allow us share our files through secure transfers. The process for the exchange is really simple, where we just have to add the files we want to share, and send the URL so that our friends can download them without cost or data loss.
Filetopia.org
It is another of the P2P platforms useful and recommended for the compartment of information and files. The difference of this with others is that with it we can create communities and rooms with characteristics similar to Google Drive, to save files and allow access to specific people.
Google drive
By last, we mentioned the great Google Drive, a well known platform for cloud storage. It does not normally appear on the Peer-to-Peer platform lists, but the truth is that it has characteristics for the transmission of information that allows it to fall into this category.