How Torrent works - Security

Torrent does not involve any type of active desktop software, unlike other file transfer services such as LimeWire and Napster. There are multitudes of Web sites throughout the Internet where you can search for Torrents. Torrents are active Internet connections that download a specific file you are looking for--referred to in the Torrent network as “seeds.” In order for a seed to be available, someone with the file you are looking for must have the Torrent window open. The Torrent window can either be open when someone is downloading the file for themselves from another seed, or once the file has been downloaded, the Torrent window can remain open to allow other people to download the completed file.

Something that makes Torrent unique is that you are never downloading a single completed file from a single vendor. Instead, you are downloading small segments of data that when put together, create the desired file.

Torrent Security

Torrent is a much safer service than other peer-to-peer networks because of how it functions. While other peer-to-peer services allow a certain degree of access to a shared folder or someone’s hard drive, Torrent users cannot share anything outside of the desired file type that is in an open Torrent window.

Due to the fact that you are only downloading segments of the file as opposed to the full thing, it also makes it incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to transmit viruses through the Torrent system. There are a number of people who are opposed to peer-to-peer technologies because of possible security concerns, however, virtually none of these concerns are found in the Torrent service.