If you go on to the Internet long enough, you eventually run across a peer to peer, or PTP, sharing website. This type of website is one where people can make many of their files available for other people to download and install on their own computers. One of the most common ways that this is used is for sharing music files. People take music files and load them on to their hard drives, then share them with other people. Legalities aside, this has been going on for quite a long time. The sharing of music files over the Internet is common, as well as sharing software programs and other types of files. Over the past few years PTP programs like Sopcast have also started offering feature movies, television programs, and sporting events from all over the world. As popular as programs like these are, they are unfortunately fraught with potential dangers to your computer and more.

When someone you know well shares a file with you through an email or through a messaging program, you are usually fairly certain that the file is safe from such things as viruses and malware. One common example of this is when people share their photos with each other. Downloading files from someone you don’t know, however, is a whole different story. At any given time there are thousands of people who are looking for ways to infect other people’s computers, either because they think it is fun or because they are phishing. The term "phishing" refers to the act of trying to get other people’s personal information through the Internet, usually for the purpose of stealing identities. There are malware programs that can be hidden in downloadable files that help these thieves obtain the information they want.

When you use a PTP program like Sopcast, you are opening yourself up to potential computer problems and to identity theft. Though many people will claim that they have no problems using this program, it doesn’t mean that the very real potential for problems doesn’t exist. You could go on vacation for a year and leave all of the doors and windows of your home unlocked and it might be fine for months, but it only takes one burglary for you to be wiped out. When you use a PTP program like Sopcast it could be fine for a long time. It only takes once, though, for someone to upload you a virus or some malware and suddenly you have a ruined hard drive or an emptied bank account.

If you are interested in watching television programs and movies from all over the world, there actually are legitimate programs that can let you do it safely—and they are even legal. One of the most popular is Satellite TV for PC. This does require a one-time fee for the software download, but after that you have access to over 3000 television and movie channels through your computer. Paying the reasonable fee is worth it for having the peace of mind, something you simply can’t get with a questionable PTP program.