Quantcast
PCWorld.com is upgrading some back-end systems. Some site features, such as user registration, may be temporarily unavailable.
Subscribe to magazine

Internet Tips: Forget Napster--Usenet Is Where the Files Are

Share files securely with Usenet, check your AOL mail via POP3.

  • 0 Yes
  • 0 No

Napster, Gnutella, Scour, and other file-sharing utilities may get all the press, but there's a more secure alternative: Usenet. One shortcoming of file-sharing utilities is a lack of guaranteed anonymity. And though Gnutella doesn't rely on a centralized server as Napster does, users can still be identified by their IP addresses. File-sharing programs are subject to the same security flaws and viral attacks that can afflict other Internet tools, leaving your system exposed to the digital underworld.

Most of the Usenet and other newsgroups that use the Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP) are loaded with files (a wealth of free, public-domain stuff, but also--caution!--pirated and pornographic material). And unlike with Napster and its ilk, you don't have to turn your PC into a hacker-vulnerable server, though you do still need to take the same precautions you would when downloading any other file. Almost every Internet service includes news-server access, and there's probably at least one newsreader program on your PC already.

  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No

Featured APC Accessories

  • APC Back-UPS ES Safeguards your equipment from damaging surges and spikes that travel along your utility & data lines.
  • APC SurgeArrest Performance Highest level of protection for your professional computers, electronics and connected devices, as well as provides surge protection.

Focus on Personal Productivitysponsored by Microsoft

  • Personal Finance 2.0 These free and fee-based Web services not only aggregate data from your online bank accounts, they give you tools for managing your money.
  • High-Tech Travel Tips Plenty of stories provide advice for elite mobile professionals. But what about you, the unproductive traveler?

People who read this also read:

  • 15 Minutes to a Secure Business Get the Secure in 15 toolkit starting with the "15 Minutes Month-at-a-Glance" calendar. McAfee will send you additional tools and tricks to stay protected around the clock.
  • A Buyer's Guide to Data Protection Implementing data protection products and processes can be daunting. Make the right decisions by exploring what is available and what makes sense for your organization. Use this simple guide to evaluate different vendor offerings.

Sponsored Links