We have noticed that most people seeking help from us are coming with infections contracted from the use of P2P programmes.
Because of this, we felt we needed to change our policy on the use of P2P file sharing programmes.
- If your helper detects the presence of such programmes on your computer he/she will ask you to remove them. We will withdraw our help should you not agree to their removal.
- If we clean your computer of infection, and you return to us a short time later with an infection contracted by the use of P2P programmes, we will refuse our help.
We do not ask you to do this without reason.
P2P programmes form a direct conduit onto your computer, their security measures are easily circumvented, and Malware writers are increasingly exploiting them to spread their wares onto your computer. Further to that, if your P2P programme is not configured correctly you may be sharing more files than you realise. There have been cases where people's Passwords, Address Books and other personal, private, and financial details have been exposed to the file sharing network by a badly configured programme.
This article from InfoWorld illustrates perfectly the dangers of a poorly configured P2P progamme.
https://www.infoworld.com/article/2649525/security/update--seattle-man-arrested-for-p-to-p-id-theft.html
Many of the programmes come bundled with other unwanted programmes, but even the ones free of any bundled software are not safe to use.
When you use them you are downloading software from an unknown source directly onto your computer, bypassing your Firewall and Anti-Virus software. Hardly surprising then that many of these Downloads are being targeted to carry infections.
We see no purpose in cleaning your machine if you use P2P programmes, as it is pretty much certain that if you continue to use them then you will get infected again.