Hi there
I would like to prevent to the best of my ability getting malware or virus when torrenting. I know there is never 100% certainty of not getting one, but i’d like to mitigate it. I’d like to ask your advice/expertise.
These are the practices I use. Please build on them if you think there is room for improvement and how.
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First off, I use linux (transmission) and only download media (music, movies), no software. I know this already lowers the risks significantly since most malware are on .exe for Windows, however I am aware mp3/mp4 and mkv files can still embed malware to exploit VLC vulnerabilities and also Linux.
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I use Proton VPN with kill switch in advanced settings - no internet (at all) allowed when the VPN is not connected.
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I limit opening the downloaded media in the PC. After seeding for a few months, I usually transfer them into an external HDD and delete them from the PC. Media may be used in a TV/phone for viewing/listening.
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I have downloaded torrent media going into a separate internal SSD which is encrypted (obviously unencrypted when torrenting). This probably doesn’t do much, but I get somewhat piece of mind when I am not torrenting and the ssd is locked.
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I use normally pirate bay org and get the torrents with the higher number of seeds.
I understood joining some private tracker may help, but I found it difficult to join. Any advice and recommendations are welcome!
If it’s too good to be true, it’s malware
If it isn’t released yet, it is malware
If it is an .iso file but not a Linux distribution, it is malware
What infuriates me with malware, which idgaf because “arch btw”, is that I reseed that shit unknowingly. Sometimes a lot.
Always check file before you let it seed forever as you should.
That’s not true. There’s loads of legitimate torrents with .iso files.
You should know you’re looking for .iso’s though.
How could I check the file before I let it seed? They are a few gigabyte files so i guess uploading to virustotal is not really an option. I am on Linux.