5 Ways to Avoid Malware While Using Torrent

BitTorrent is a convenient way to download many types of data. People worldwide use it to obtain movies, music, software, books, and other digital items swiftly and efficiently. However, there is always cause for concern while attempting to download a torrent file. The majority of torrent files available online are unofficial. Some of them have not been thoroughly examined and may be malicious. While downloading pirated content via BitTorrent seeds might save you a lot of money, acquiring copyrighted material is risky. It may infect not just your smartphones or computers but even streaming devices like the Amazon FireStick. Before you begin downloading data via torrents, you should employ all preventative measures. This guide will show how to protect your device against malicious torrents effectively.

Run an Antivirus Software

Downloading a file from Torrent is safe. That is why antivirus software is so vital. Having excellent antivirus software is smart practice when accessing the web in general. Hackers prefer to put malware inside torrent downloads, making it easy for users to become infected.

Cybercriminals realize that embedding malware in a torrent file allows them to infect a large number of individuals and that this is the most straightforward technique to force vulnerabilities onto victims. However, it is not the case when you are opening a file. Before you open a file, antivirus software examines it automatically.

As a result, whenever you download and run a torrent, the antivirus may detect potentially dangerous material. Consequently, it may prompt your antivirus to delete the file automatically. On the downside, antivirus software may mistakenly identify cracked files, keygens, and other software as harmful even when they are not. As a result, you may have difficulty opening some files. You may deactivate your antivirus until you open them if you are confident, they are not malicious but remember that this is always a risk.

Use a VPN

When torrenting, your IP address connects you to peers (seeds and leeches). This implies that everyone can see everyone else’s addresses. Because your IP address is public, anyone who wishes to follow your online activities may see your location and metadata. Experts recommend using a Virtual Private Network to conceal your activities while accessing torrent files. IP address masking is a function of VPNs for torrenting that masks your actual IP address.

Essentially, the VPN server will make download requests on your behalf and deliver the material to you once the VPN server has received it. It also implies it has no knowledge whether you’re downloading from torrent repositories. A VPN connection provides total privacy, allowing you to access websites without fear of consequences. However, there are two considerations. First, you should choose a virtual private network service that does not store any records. Second, ensure that your VPN provider of choice accepts Bit Torrent traffic through their servers.

For legal concerns, certain service providers do not allow Bit Torrent traffic. It is also safer to conceal your IP address. When you torrent through peer-to-peer, you may be broadcasting your home’s IP address to everyone else connected to the peer. If a hacker is on that peer, they might explore your IP address for open ports or IoT devices to add to a botnet. Using a VPN prevents other torrent users on the peer from identifying you.

Check Your Seeds!

Most users are concerned about avoiding viruses and other vulnerabilities. The good news is that there are numerous methods for detecting and preventing rogue seeds. The simplest way to ensure that you download what you are searching for is to browse for popular torrents.

If a torrent has many seeders, it is likely to be the safe one. It only means that a large number of users download a file and continue to share it. This indicates that they opened and utilized it without any problems. As a result, torrents with a large number of seeds also have a large number of leechers. Users often seek to download their files via the most dependable Torrent on the internet.

Using known torrent repositories can also assist you in easily and safely finding what you are looking for. These prominent websites employ ‘flair’ methods to promote confirmed users, making it easy to determine if a seed is genuine or not. For example, on “The Pirate Bay,” administrators list individuals who consistently post malware-free content by labeling them as “Trusted.” The VIP tag is similar, but it merely denotes a seeder that is highly reliable. The ‘flair’ tag, on the other hand, will vary based on the site you access. Ensure to conduct some study and understand what you’re looking for to locate highlighted users on the website you want to use.

Check Your File Size/Format

Executable files, such as .EXE, .APP, .BAT, .SCR, and others, are the most vulnerable to infection. They are a frequent technique to spread viruses and other harmful material since they carry out a task when you run them. The majority of cracked files are executable, and if you download files with that extension, make sure to scan them with antivirus software.

However, it is impossible to avoid .exe and.bat files altogether, even though it is suggested that you do so as much as possible. Fortunately, you can generally detect bogus installers by simply comparing the download size to the size of the actual installer. You should keep in mind that the file sizes must be comparable. If the discrepancy is significant, it may indicate that the file is not what you were looking for.

Explore a Torrent Community

Private trackers are closed-door torrenting groups that aim to keep torrent quality high. Once you join these communities, you will be astounded by the quality of the torrents because each one is hand-picked and strictly moderated. These trackers are usually only accessible with an invitation and can be challenging since these communities are frequently one-in-one-out.

As a result, current members fiercely defend their place and seldom leave the group. If you receive an invitation to one of these groups who will share with you a list of malware free sites, you will find yourself in a situation where you can guarantee the quality of the torrents. This significantly reduces your chances of encountering harmful files, viruses, malware, spam, and Trojans.

Even if you take all of these measures, there is still a risk that you will encounter problems. Using torrent websites to download has caused a lot of controversy in the past. As a result, you should carefully assess the kind of files you’re downloading, their legal and copyright status, and the potential repercussions of downloading copyrighted information over BitTorrent. The best way to avoid malware infections is to download responsibly.