I need to download some files which are distributed as a torrent. The files aren't pirated / restricted so i dont need to worry about a VPN.
- Is Utorrent Safe To Download
- Is It Safe To Download Torrent On Mac Pc
- Is It Safe To Download Torrent On Mac Computer
- Transmission For Mac
The protection he needs is to not be a dumbass. If you have to ask if a download you didn't ask for with a pkg extension (the mac's equivalent to.exe in this context) is safe, you don't belong on the internet. To download a content from a torrent website, you need a good torrent client like uTorrent, BitTorrent, Transmission, Vuze, etc. But, that’s not all. To ensure that your torrent downloading is safe and hidden, use of a VPN service to hide your IP address is recommended.
My main concern is securing my computer when downloading the files. Im using a macbook pro running 10.10.5 (all latest patches). Ive also got Avast mac anti virus (free) installed.
My current workflow is : add torrent to transmit (torrent client), set download location to a custom folder, once download is complete run an Avast custom scan on the download location folder. If scan comes back with no results i open the file as normal.
Is there anything else i can do to increase the security of my computer from Viruses, malware and other unwanted issues when downloading torrents ?
closed as too broad by Stephane, Serge Ballesta, Steve, Xiong Chiamiov, AndersJun 28 '17 at 13:53
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1 Answer
This assumes you are interested in ensuring the file maintains integrity in transit.
Is Utorrent Safe To Download
If you have access to the source files before transmit you should run a hash on the files such as sha256 or if they are large then save a litttle time using the older sha1 (depends how much you want to trust the source, md5 might be acceptable for you even)
Is It Safe To Download Torrent On Mac Pc
Keep the hashes safe, when the files are received at the other end recheck the hashes.
Make sure you check at the destination before executing them though!
If you are wanting general security advice then the same rules of downloading any file apply. Such as:
- Keep up to date AV
- Execute with minimum privileges needed
- Keep OS patched
You could also (If you think it's worth the effort) sandbox the downloads (even in its own VM) if you wanted. But I don't know what the files are for so only you will know if this level is needed.