Are you just getting started with torrenting? First-time torrenting is exciting. It is a great way to enjoy some good content on your TV or laptop. But torrenting also comes with some risks, if you are not cautious enough. It can make you vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, such as spyware, viruses, and malware. Even if you set aside the legal issues, downloading and uploading torrent files can make you vulnerable to online security. Choose to Torrent Safely
In this guide, we are going to explain how to protect your data and stay anonymous while you download or upload files from torrents. You can download torrent with a few clicks but to make sure you are doing it safely, here are a few things you can consider.
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Table of Contents
Get a Reliable Torrent Client
When you download a torrent file, you have to download and install a torrent client. In simple words, it is a tool on your laptop or mobile that will help you download the complete torrent file.
You might be downloading a movie, music, software, or book but you have to make sure you have set up the tool adequately. It ascertains you don’t encounter any issues later on. The problems include downloading safely or locating the files you have downloaded.
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Choose the Right Torrent Site
You will find many sites over the internet that allow you to download torrent files. Whenever you are downloading something on your device, you have to be absolutely certain it is a genuine source. If you don’t, you might end up downloading a corrupt or fake file. The file might also contain malware and infect the device.
Before you proceed to download a file, make sure it is a reputable website. The best torrent site uses effective systems in place to show you only the files that have been verified. So, you can avoid sneak surprises.
Consider torrent sites that ask you to sign up for a membership. These sites generally verify every torrent file on the site. Hence, you can be sure that whatever you download is safe.
Unfortunately, the ISPs often block the best torrent sites across the world.
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Choose the Right Torrent safely
Now, it is time to look at downloading torrents. You always have to be careful about what you are downloading from the internet, especially in the case of torrents. Cybercriminals often try to take advantage of the people who trick them to download bad torrents.
Hence, you have to be sure that the chosen torrent safely is legit and doesn’t contain malware. The best way to do that is by downloading verified content from torrent sites. Avoid sites that look a little suspicious. For example, if you come across a software or video that hasn’t been released yet, it is highly possible that it’s fake.
Another red flag is, a torrent claiming to be an HD file but the actual size of the torrent file is very small. If the site that you are downloading from seems to be too good to be true, it is better you avoid it.
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Use an Antivirus Software
Don’t forget to install good antivirus software on your device to protect it from hacks, malware, and cyberattacks. When you are downloading a torrent, you are opening up the device to other connections and not all of them have good and fair intentions.
Choose the best antivirus solution as it can scan and monitor all files you are downloading. It can warn you immediately if it finds malware. Some antivirus can also isolate or remove the malware before it can damage your system.
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Use a VPN
A VPN is the ultimate choice when it comes to torrenting. It will not only encrypt your traffic but will also hide your IP address. If you use a VPN, your internet service provider won’t be able to detect that you are downloading a torrent. Furthermore, copyright trolls and hackers will not be able to find your IP address.
The encryption system used by VPN will keep ISPs from throttling torrent traffic. A few VPNs offer the added benefit of ad blockers. So, it can block connections to scrupulous sites.
Downloading torrents with a VPN is hassle-free. All you have to do is subscribe to TheFastVPN.com and download and install an app. When you are done downloading the VPN app, connect to a VPN server, and start downloading torrents.
If you are still thinking about why, you should use a VPN for safe torrenting, take a look at the benefits given below-
- Access Blocked Content: Often, ISPs tend to block your access to popular torrenting sites. Something similar is also done by the schools, colleges, and offices. Using a VPN will enable you to access the blocked torrenting sites.
- Protects Your IP Address: When you download torrents on your device through a torrent client, only people who are connected to the torrent file will be able to check your identity, IP address, and location. But it can make you vulnerable to cyberattacks. Installing a VPN will hide your details and keep your IP address safe.
- Avoid ISP Throttling: If you are using an unprotected internet connection, anything you do online will be visible to your ISP. In case torrenting large files is not permitted by your ISP, it can throttle your internet connection. Hence, it can reduce the bandwidth speed. But a VPN will help in avoiding this, even when you download torrents.
Bottom Line
Torrenting is a useful way to download files online but you have to make sure that you are doing it safely. So, download torrents only from a reputable platform and ascertain you are using legit torrents.
We recommend you to use The Fast VPN. It is a reputed VPN that hides your activity from hackers and ISPs. FastVPN will also block malware from infecting your system. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about pop-up ads. The VPN is easy to use and is available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.