10.1.2.4 Lab-Researching peer-to-peer file sharing

Part 1: Identify P2P Networks, File sharing protocols, and applications

Step 1: Define P2P networking a. What is P2P network? P2P network can be a network on a much grander scale in which special protocols and applications set up direct relationships among users over the Internet. And A P2P network also can be a permanent infrastructure that links a half-dozen computers in a small office over copper wires b. What are some advantages that P2P provides over client-server architecture? 1) Centralization : Unlike P2P, where there is no central administration, here in this architecture there is a centralized control. Servers help in administering the whole set- up. Access rights and resource allocation is done by Servers. 2) Proper Management : All the files are stored at the same place. In this way, management of files becomes easy. Also it becomes easier to find files. 3) Back-up and Recovery possible : As all the data is stored on server its easy to make a back-up of it. Also, in case of some break-down if data is lost, it can be recovered easily and efficiently. While in peer computing we have to take back-up at every workstation. 4) Upgradation and Scalability in Client-server set-up : Changes can be made easily by just upgrading the server. Also new resources and systems can be added by making necessary changes in server. 5) Accessibility : From various platforms in the network, server can be accessed remotely. 6) As new information is uploaded in database , each workstation need not have its own storage capacities increased (as may be the case in peer-to-peer systems). All the changes are made only in central computer on which server database exists. 7) Security : Rules defining security and access rights can be defined at the time of set- up of server. 8) Servers can play different roles for different clients.

c. What are the disadvantages of p2p networks? 1) Congestion in Network: Too many requests from the clients may lead to congestion, which rarely takes place in P2P network. Overload can lead to breaking-down of servers. In peer-to-peer, the total bandwidth of the network increases as the number of peers increase. 2) Client-Server architecture is not as robust as a P2P and if the server fails, the whole network goes down. Also, if you are downloading a file from server and it gets abandoned due to some error, download stops altogether. However, if there would have been peers, they would have provided the broken parts of file. 3) Cost: It is very expensive to install and manage this type of computing. 4) You need professional IT people to maintain the servers and other technical details of network.

Step 2: Identify p2p file sharing protocols and applications. a. Identify some P2P file sharing protocols used today? Ares (Ares Galaxy, Warez P2P) Bitcoin (Bitcoin, Alt-Coins) BitTorrent (ABC [Yet Another BitTorrent Client], Azureus, BitComet, BitSpirit, BitTornado, BitTorrent.Net, G3 Torrent, mlMac, MLdonkey, QTorrent, Shareaza, µTorrent, etc.) Direct Connect (BCDC++, DC++, NeoModus Direct Connect, etc.) FastTrack (Grokster, iMesh, Kazaa, Morpheus, etc.) b. What are some popular P2P file sharing applications available today?  uTorrent  Transmission  MediaGet  BitTorrent  FrostWire

c. What P2P file sharing protocols is attributed to producing the most P2P traffic on the internet today? Its average proportion of the overall data traffic regionally varies between 49% in the Middle East and 83% in Eastern Europe. The world average share of Internet traffic that consists of p2p-based file-sharing exchange is estimated to around 70%. Part 2: Research P2P File sharing Issues Step 1: Research P2P copyright infringement. a. What does the acronym DMCA stand for and what is it? The DMCA is considered a very controversial law by many who see it as an infringement to freedom. (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) A U.S. law enacted in late 1998 that provides penalties for developing hardware or software that overrides copy protection schemes for digital media. b. Name two associations that actively pursue P2P copyright infringement? UMB advises all computer account holders to use extreme caution when installing P2P software and to read all user agreements carefully beforehand. Make sure that you read all available documentation from the P2P software provider and understand how the P2P software is configured and operates. c. What are the penalties for copyright infringement? ◾Infringer pays the actual dollar amount of damages and profits. ◾The law provides a range from $200 to $150,000 for each work infringed. ◾Infringer pays for all attorney’s fees and court costs. ◾The Court can issue an injunction to stop the infringing acts. d. What are the file sharing copyright laws in your area? Are they strict or less strict than those in other area of the world? How aggressively do enforcement agencies in your area pursue those who share copyrighted material? They are everywhere Step 2: Research other P2P issues. a. What types of malware can be transported through P2P file sharing? Figure 1 shows the percentage of qualifying traffic we see each dayonthetwonetworksthatismalicious. Sincewecanonlyiden- tify malicious files from those us downloaded successfully, this figureshows alowerbound on theextentofmalware. Alargeper- centage of Limewire responses are infested with malware. On the other hand, malware on OpenFT spikes only on one day, the day Poom.Awormhits. b. What is Torrent Poisoning? Torrent poisoning is the act of intentionally sharing corrupt data or data with misleading file names using the BitTorrent protocol. c. How could identity theft occur through the use of P2P file sharing? P2P file sharing was designed to allow a system of independent computers to communicate with each other via the Internet and specialized software or sites. Part 3 Research P2P Copyright Litigations a. What was the first well-known P2P application that specialized in MP3 file sharing and was shut down by court order? It was originally founded as a pioneering peer-to-peer file sharing Internet service that emphasized sharing audio files, typically music, encoded in MP3 format. b. What was of the largest P2P file sharing lawsuits ever? There are currently more than 140,000 BitTorrent downloaders being targeted by lawsuits in the US. Rather than take the lawsuit all the way through a court proceeding, downloaders often cough up around $3,000 per infringement — which can add up to a bundle of cash quite quickly, especially when 23,000 people are on the shakedown list. 1. How can you be sure that the files you are downloading from P2P networks are not copyrighted and are safe form malware? Know what files you’re sharing. When you share a file it becomes accessible by millions of people, and computers all over the world. So, you always want to be sure about what you are sharing. Some application will automatically share any files you have downloaded. Other applications automatically upload your entire hard drive and make it shareable. So, you want to make sure that your personal information is not being made public or accessible. So, know what you are sharing and to what extent. If multiple people use your computer, you will need to be extra careful about monitoring what is being shared.