Cyber Investigations Home
Cyber
Education Letter
To
Users of Peer-to-Peer Systems:
The
FBI has undertaken a new initiative to educate and
warn citizens about certain risks and dangers associated
with the use of Peer-to-Peer systems on the Internet.
While the FBI supports and encourages the development
of new technologies, we also recognize that technology
can be misused for illicit and, in some cases, criminal
purposes. In an effort to help citizens learn how to
protect themselves, this letter is being distributed
and is posted on the FBI's web site.
Peer-to-Peer
networks allow users connected to the Internet to link
their computers with other computers around the world.
These networks are established for the purpose of sharing
files. Typically, users of Peer-to-Peer networks install
free software on their computers which allows them
(1) to find and download files located on another Peer-to-Peer
user's hard drive, and (2) to share with those other
users files located on their own computer. Unfortunately
sometimes these information-sharing systems have been
used to engage in illegal activity. Some of the most
common crimes associated with Peer-to-Peer networks
are the following:
Copyright
Infringement: It is a violation of Federal law
to distribute copyrighted music, movies, software,
games, and other works without authorization. There
are important national economic consequences associated
with such theft. The FBI has asked industry associations
and companies that are particularly concerned with
intellectual property theft to report to the FBI
-- for possible criminal investigation and prosecution
-- anyone that they have reason to believe is violating
Federal copyright law.
Child
Exploitation and Obscenity: The receipt or distribution
of child pornography and unlawful obscenity over
the Internet also is a serious Federal crime. The
FBI cautions parents and guardians that, because
there is no age restriction for the use of Peer-to-Peer
services, pornography of all types is easily accessible
by the many young children whose parents mistakenly
believe they are only accessing music or movies.
In fact, children may be exposed to pornography --
and subsequently lured by sexual predators -- even
though they were not searching for pornography, as
some network users deliberately mislabel the names
of files for this purpose.
Computer
Hacking: Peer-to-Peer networks also have been
abused by hackers. Because these systems potentially
expose your computer and files to millions of other
users on the network, they also expose your computer
to worms and viruses. In fact, some worms have been
specifically written to spread by popular Peer-to-Peer
networks. Also, if Peer-to-Peer software is not properly
configured, you may be unknowingly opening up the
contents of your entire hard drive for others to
see and download your private information.
The
FBI urges you to learn about the risks and dangers
of Peer-to-Peer networks, as well as the legal consequences
of copyright infringement, illegal pornography, and
computer hacking. For more information about the law,
visit www.usdoj.gov/criminal.
The FBI takes seriously its mission to enforce the
laws against those who use the Internet to commit crime.
To report cyber crime, please contact your local FBI
Field Office, or file a complaint through the Internet
Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.
