Downloading Programs: Best Practices

[Praxis]

Hi all,

What are the recognized best-practices of downloading programs (.EXE) from P2P networks? What steps can one take to verify the authenticity of a file (that it is what it says it is) and that it contains no spyware or malware?

Virus scans and adware scans are simple enough, but to my knowledge (and I am a newbie to P2P), Gnutella provides no count of a file's downloads from a particular host and no feedback channel to review downloaders' experiences with particular files. This leaves the door open to malware. Is this rare?

Any advice is appreciated.

[trap_jaw4]

Be very, very careful when downloading programs. Always use a virus scanner and never download any strange programs that you don't know.

Personally I never encountered a virus but I might just have been lucky and if I was you, I wouldn't try pushing my luck.

On the other hand, if you don't mind reformatting your hard drive every once in a while, download away.

[Praxis]

Thank you for your replies.

I was thinking that a quarantining solution might provide 100% protection, but now see this as folly.

For example, on an isolated (imaged/Ghosted) computer, MS Installation Monitor could reveal any rogue services (spyware) installed by the downloaded program and that ZoneAlarm's "Application Control" could further reveal spyware in the EXE as it attempts to "phone home." But, I suppose there's nothing to prevent that EXE from blowing up on April 1, 2005. ...and no way to foresee it without decompiling the code and picking through it line by bloody line. That pretty much precludes ever moving the software from quarantine to production workstation. Bummer.

What a pain. I'm just looking for a PACE-free version of software I already own. It's out there, but I'm afraid of it.

Thanks again for all of your helpful replies.