'Torrent9.so' Ads
Torrent9.so is a torrent search engine website that provides searching and downloading features for torrents – a decentralized method for file-sharing. Although malware experts detect no threats on the site, many users experience issues with third-party content that the site promotes. Users should be cautious about downloads through this site and let traditional anti-malware products block or delete any threats arriving through Torrent9.so.
The Darker Side of Sharing Files Too Freely
With peer-to-peer networks like torrents being up to seventy percent of all internet traffic, the demand for free downloading is as high as ever. Torrent9.so is one website that turns this demand into traffic and money by offering the often-valued service of a browser-based torrent search engine. However, there's a dark side to Torrent9.so, much like with most torrent-based services.
Although Torrent9.so caters towards French speakers, its domain is, unusually, Somalian – a restricted domain supposedly only available to Somalia-based businesses or residents. That owner also uses an identity-hiding privacy service, a common trend among 'gray' websites that aren't illicit necessarily but affiliate themselves with more threatening partners. Fortunately, no scans identify any concrete threats, such as drive-by-download exploits, from the Torrent9.so website directly.
The website's primary service is providing a search feature for finding and downloading torrents – a decentralized file-sharing method that often, but not always, includes illegal content such as pirated software and movies. However, what malware experts most note about Torrent9.so is repeated complaints from users encountering adware, and other, unwanted downloads from Torrent9.so's affiliate advertisements. These advertisements may appear as pop-ups, new tabs in the browser, or redirects.
Getting Downloads without the Risk
Although malware experts recommend against downloading torrents without strong precautions in place users can experience torrenting with a trusted third-party client instead of a website that may endanger them with hosted advertisements. As a rule, users also should be careful of sites that use unusual domains or addresses that resemble other sites strongly, which are two signs of a domain that could be a tactic or attempt at attacking any visitors.
While browsing the Web, users also should consider turning off some features that endanger them unnecessarily. These features include the recently-defunct Flash, JavaScript and Java. Updating browsers and other software also will remove many vulnerabilities that hostile sites could use for staging attacks. Lastly, all users should reject downloads from unverified sources instinctively, especially updates for well-known software like movie players.
Although most security services shouldn't block Torrent9.so directly, users can benefit from them, regardless. Traditional anti-malware solutions will blacklist third-party websites with threatening reputations, warn users of drive-by-downloads and block script-based exploits. They also can scan systems after infections and remove any recently-installed adware, PUPs or Trojans quickly.
Torrent9.so is, as its name, a veritable torrent of unwanted offers from affiliates. While no one can blame the owner for making money, doing so at the expense of Web traffic safety isn't a bargain for any would-be torrent user.
