I’m not going to be the guy to push people to get free music downloads online. I feel it’s right, however, to be the guy who pushes people to use protection when they do choose to do so.
Do I have to point out the numerous analogies there? No? Good.
Protecting yourself while doing free music downloads can help you stop the spread of malicious code, saving us all some trouble, and save you from fines and jail time. Because there are worse criminals out there than the kid who can’t afford the latest Lil Wayne release.
To help you protect yourself when downloading free music I’m going to make you aware of the risks, clue you in to how you can protect yourself, and leave the scolding to someone else.
Where are safe places to get free music downloads?
With the downfall of The Pirate Bay, and it’s current poor management, many people are scrambling to find a new place to download music for free. There are a plethora of torrent sites out there, so I took the time to find the 10 best torrent sites available. This list is updated when sites go down, as Kick Ass Torrents and Torrentz did.
For your actual torrenting you’ll need a torrent client. Again, there are many to choose from. So I was a nice guy again and tested a bunch out. Here are 10 bittorrent clients to choose from. I use Vuze personally.
What risks are there when downloading free music?
Most of the time, there are few risks when downloading free music, especially if you go with one of the sites mentioned above. They have administration teams stepping on bad links and deleting them. Every now and then, however, something will get past them. Examples include:
Malicious code
When you go onto a torrent website and look around you’ll start to see regular uploaders who are trusted. You hardly have to give these accounts a second thought when you download or get the magnet link from them. It’s the new accounts that can throw in:
And really mess up your day. Finding trusted sources is vital to the health of your computer. Don’t just click blindly, research, read reviews of the torrent on the website, and see if the uploader has their own website.
Exposing yourself
And not in the fun way. This is a risk because you’re allowing people access to your computer by opening up the torrent. It’s possible that you’re opening the door a little wider than you’d like if the right hacker gets hold of the download.
This will put your information at risk, and also put you at risk of identity theft. Which, contrary to popular belief, isn’t as fun as the 1997 sci-fi thriller Face/Off.
Free Music Downloads open you up to attack
The biggest cyber security threat you will have is when you are asked to open certain ports of your firewall. The torrent will do this under the disguise of needing it to transmit the file. I wouldn’t trust this, not even for an advanced copy of Dr. Dre’s Detox album. UPDATE: It never came out. Ever. This update is from my death bed in 2095…
Having your ports opened that don’t need to be for a music download gives hackers access to your computer. The risk is similar to the one above, but you run a greater risk with your computer being opened up further. It’s a needless risk, look for a file that doesn’t ask for you to open ports.
DMCAs, fines and …jail
No, you’re not going to go directly to jail for every free music download you do. Well, not yet anyway. We’ll see what happens if another Bush is elected president. The fact remains that downloading copyrighted material over the Internet opens you up to legal issues. This wasn’t the case on my dual tape deck as no one could track it, but the times they are a changin’…
The first issue will likely be a DMCA notice sent to you via your ISP. This is a warning, and it’s wake up time when you get one. There have been cases of music downloaders being fined ridiculous amounts, and even going to jail. For real. Jail. Right next to the guy who stabbed his mother in the eye with the fork he was using to eat spaghetti she had just cooked. (Ok, last part is made up)
How can you protect yourself when doing free music downloads
Protecting yourself while downloading music for free comes down to four basic choices:
- Stop doing it. You can’t go wrong with this plan. But…
- Pay for, and update, an anti-virus program all the time. This is good for free music downloads, as well as general browsing about the Internet. It can block that malicious code dead in its tracks.
- Invest in a
VPN as it may be the best move you make online because the right provider will protect you from DMCA notices. Check out our best VPNs for torrenting list to learn more about your choices. - Set up a firewall to block malicious intrusions even further. Be sure that one included with your computer, or your antivirus, is enabled. Some VPNs also provide a firewall.
There are many ways to protect yourself when downloading free music. I would advise a proactive approach the sees you getting started on your plan to protect yourself now, rather than waiting for something to happen.
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