P2P Identity Theft?

Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing programs are used widely these days, but it might not be just music or movies that others have access to: file sharing can also put you at risk for identity theft. Identity thieves have taken advantage of these security gaps, and this unfortunate trend has gained momentum in recent months.

In a court case that began in the fall of 2007 a man pleaded guilty to identity theft; he stole tax forms, loan applications and credit information from over fifty people using only the popular P2P program Limewire. In addition, Last September roughly five thousand Social Security numbers were compromised after a single Citigroup employee used an insecure network on the same program, Limewire. The same thing also happened at Pfizer when about seventeen thousand employee records were exposed. These cases go to show how easily personal information can intercepted when using peer-to-peer software and leave you at risk of identity theft.

Want to know how effortless identity theft can be? Simply search a P2P network for common phrases like “resume” or “taxes” and you’re bound to find someone’s (supposedly) private information. When configuring your network preferences it’s easy to accidentally share the entire contents of your hard drive rather than, say, a shared music folder. Most P2P programs aren’t exactly user friendly for laymen– a couple of mouse clicks are all it takes. You might have the most up-to-date security software, but it won’t make a bit of difference if you allow others to access your hard drive.

How to Avoid Potential P2P Identity Theft

The easiest way to avoid any potential problems is to refrain from downloading any P2P program if you don’t know the ins and outs, or deleting whichever program if you’ve already downloaded it. If you have more than one computer, consider using one solely for file sharing and the other for personal information. Also, check out what security measures different P2P programs offer because some are more secure than others, e.g. some don’t allow DOC or PDF files to be shared. Limewire, despite its prevalence, is notoriously risky, as is exemplified with the previous examples of Citigroup and Pfizer. Lastly, there are certain programs available that monitor exactly what you’re sharing with others. Share smartly.

• Increasing Risk of P2P Identity Theft
• Man Pleads Guilty to File Sharing ID Theft