PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK SECURITY

Peer to Peer networks in general refers to the setup in which all computers have equal status. In other way, this allows communication between two systems, where each system is considered equal. Peer-to-peer networking is an alternative to the client-server model. Under the peer-to-peer model, each system is both a server and a client, commonly referred to as a servant. Recently, however, peer- to- peer networks have gained momentum with searchable peer-to-peer network file databases, increased network connectivity, and content popularity. In this article, will discuss the malicious threats, privacy concerns, and security risks of three common peer-to-peer network systems. The threats discussed will include how these can harness existing peer-to-peer networks, and how peer-to-peer networking provides an additional (potentially unprotected) degree of delivery for malicious code. Each protocol will be discussed, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of such models in regard to privacy and potential security risks by their usage. Many other peer-to-peer networking systems exist (for example, Microsoft Networking), and while this is explicitly discussed, conclusions can be applied to these systems as well.