Trojen In Kazaa

Trojan Horse- Altnet

Anyone heard of KaZaA? It is a file sharing network similar to Napster. Altnet is a distributed computing software within file-sharing software used in the KaZaA P2P network. Altnet says that it "is the leading online distributor of licensed digital entertainment, enabling its roster of record labels, film studios, and software and video game developers to market and sell their media to a worldwide audience of 70 million users. Altnet powers leading Peer-to-Peer applications, internet portals and affiliate websites with turnkey access to Altnet library of rights managed downloadable content and integrated payment processing gateway." Critics are calling Altnet a "trojan program" because it is bundled with in KaZaA's software, witch is has millions of users. KaZaA's code allows other people to use the client's computer. This is legal because the user agrees to the "user-agreement" before they even download the program. Now the reason KaZaA allows others to access your computer is to sell your excess CPU time. This is not a crime; NASA buys excess CPU time, not from KaZaA, for their SETI project. I believe that if something like this is in a user-agreement it needs to be in bold print or something. You shouldn't need a lawyer to read over your user-agreements of software that you are loading on your personal computer. If this was illegal I am not sure what category it would be under. Information theft? But it's more like information processing theft. KaZaA is only one way to get an Altnet infection. You can protect yourself from Altnet's software by downloading ScanSpyware http://www.scanspyware.net this will detect a Altnet infection, and get rid of it.

http://www.scanspyware.net/info/Altnet.htm

http://www.altnet.com/

http://www.awprofessional.com/articles/article.asp?p=28800&seqNum=3&rl=1

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