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by Shanice Manning ’16, mathematics major

Sharing copyrighted P2P files is illegal and can cause disaster for you and your computer. It’s not worth the risk! Ìý

Illegal file-sharing is downloading or uploading copyrighted media without the consent of the copyright holder. Copyrights serve as protection for the efforts made by the creator to produce the material (whether music, film, text, art).

Many people think they’ll be saving money when they decide to download illegally, but they don’t consider the consequences. File-sharing via P2P (peer-to-peer) programs can unintentionally allow others to access personal files on your computer, making you vulnerable to attacks by malicious software and hacking.

Aside from risks to your computer, if caught sharing copyrighted material without permission, you can be fined by the copyright owner and even serve jail time.

At ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, students found to be using large bandwidth or disrupting campus networks because of file-sharing will have their Internet connection disabled. All students who are served with a copyright infringement notice will be referred to the Dean of Student Affairs.

Get more information about the risks of file-sharing and other National Cyber Security Awareness Month topics at .

Look out for our weekly information security posters around campus this October, designed by ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Graphic Design student Paul Kalafatis ‘12.