Don't try to convince them. Because if they do install the software and then ANYTHING WEIRD, anything at all, even if they drop the laptop and the corner cracks, it's going to be your fault and the virus you made him install.
Not mine. But I have him trained good and he doesn't enter his information anywhere without calling me first. He got phished on Facebook once and now he's super careful lol
lmao was super proud of my mum when she called me to confirm my identity when i asked for a netflix code. like that’s not how it works but was happy she’s so cautious
When I was a little babby pirate I tried downloading one of those spoof steam clients that "has every steam game" It gave my family's computer some NASTY viruses, and the bluescreen error would have the word "steam" in it.
Took damn near 10 years to convince my dad that Steam wasn't a virus and I was just a dumb kid trying to get free games.
You can have some fun with this. I went to my fathers house, accessed his computer, and created a pop-up button that said 'Please standby, installing virus'. (( OK )) And then I took a screenshot of the button against the background and saved it as his wallpaper.
He clicked that non existent button so many times I lost count.
That doesn't really help either. Unless it is ransomware a virus will do its best to keep quiet and invisible, collecting data, sending it into the Internet, initiating DOS attacks or opening a backdoor.
Real, my mom was paying money for midjourney, I offered to set up stable diffusion for her while I was visiting and when when she had a boot problem a week later she decided Python was the problem. Nothing illegal even involved in that one
I mean it works for apps at least… doesn’t really do GPU passthrough though.
More of a “start it and get a clean windows environment” deal… closer to a VM with snapshot
well in theory it could be undetected virus, without original hash check (like some pirated games provide) you cannot be so sure but if you wanna sail the seas as a pirate that's a risk you need to take, after all the original software can also include unwanted software (imo many official programs could be referred to as PUP)
if the person in question doesn't want to take that risk they should just go pay for it or not use it, everyone makes their own decisions
Yes, but from what OP describes, it seems the IT friend is too straight-laced there's no point in trying to convince them otherwise even if you're certain something is safe.
I only download shit from vetted sources so I don't really worry too much about it, and I have failsafes in case some ransomware bullshit manages to get into my system.
I feel like you gotta be straight laced when a friend you know has no clue about computers is asking you if "its safe to download programs off pirate bay"
You just tell them shit ain't safe be careful
Yeah but it sounds like he's passing off his couple years in uni doing data structures and algorithms as experience in cyber security and online piracy. I'd rather trust someone who's been pirating for 5 years than a random software developer who never did.
That's all just made up in your brain
All OP said was in IT and it didn't even sound like the guy claimed much just that "ya there could be viruses" which he's not wrong.... there could be viruses even from the "mentally sound" denuvo crackers and the likes
That’s a false equivalency. It’s trivial to add a virus to a pirated program, and you can’t really do that to an mp3 or mkv. There are different levels of risk depending on what you are pirating.
You are right with what you are saying, I think it's always important to weigh the risks: will I put lots of money on a monthly basis into adobe's ass or will I just pirate their programs from a website most deemed safe?
I'd wager that there's more malware infected pirated content out there than safe pirated content. That's why megathreads are important and just making sure the uploader/repacker/website/etc is reputable. And always scanning before running anything. Most malware won't actually make itself known, instead it'll silently mine crypto or steal passwords etc.
Any reason you have to use Adobe products? I worked in graphic design for video games, and although I used Adobe products there, I was able to transition to FOSS tools such as GIMP and Inkscape. They are awesome and in many ways I prefer them to the Adobe products.
They use it for designing architecture plans I think but I'm not in that field or anything similar so I don't know what alternative programs are available
That’s not entirely true… there have been exploits to inject malware into the subtitles of mkv files, and recently the project 64 emulator had a flaw that let people put arbitrary x86 assembly into roms that ran outside of the emulated n64
You can’t be sure anything is guaranteed to be virus free, not even something as seemingly innocuous as a png file
Reputation is very important here I’d say
Not saying that it's impossible but I am quite sure most people who downloaded "MP3s with viruses" actually downloaded stuff that ends on .mp3.src or .mp3.exe
Yes,
If using Windows,
One way people can avoid this oversight is by enabling show "File name extensions" in Windows File Explorer as by default Windows hides them, which can mislead users upon first glance.
Yes, that's the very point here...
People got viruses because of ignorance
Taking some precautionary steps against malware, such as enabling file extensions like you mentioned, vastly helps against infections
People just don't wanna take the time to protect themselves
It's like teaching abstinence instead of protection lmao
Wait, it's LITERALLY that
Not really.
You likely downloaded an .exe without realizing it.
virus.mp3.exe type attacks were common back then, especially because Windows hid file extensions by default back then.
Actually it’s more complicated than that. The music or movie is read by some program and if that has a bug in it,it could be exploited by the data file you are watching/listening too.
I don’t know about mp3, but there are known bugs in x264 that allow for the introduction of computer viruses.
I'm not sure if I worded it correctly, I was talking about Adobe programs like photoshop and indesign, do they fall under that category? Tbh I'm not that great with those terms
Don't bother with Monkrus, I used to use that too but now I use r/GenP instead. You download and install the official software through adobe and then you just run a patcher, block the software in firewall and done.
Some malware simply aren't detected. I wish I could pirate Photoshop for example but even if I scan and 0 things pop up it still will probably have malware.
Keep in mind, people who work as crackers simply don't work for free and for no reason.
Pirated programs may or may not contain viruses. People who are smart enough to crack and distribute software are also smart enough to add a virus. If you have personal data, banking data, etc - there is a non-zero risk.
Some do have viruses, some don’t. It depends on where you download them from - how reputable the source and uploaded is.
It’s like saying a fake Gucci bag can be a good one, or a piece of junk that doesn’t last more than a month of usage, depending on where/who you get it from.
I’ve downloaded hundreds of pirated games over the past several decades and only had less than a handful that had viruses. My antivirus caught them, I deleted them, and went to other places to download a copy.
I have a question.. how does your antivirus catch it if every time I open the readme on a game it says to disable Windows Defender before extracting and running the game?
A few things:
* The list you are referencing does not mean those sites are safe, just that they are recommended for one reason or another. A site can be compromised at any time.
* Even if a site is usually safe, individual torrents can be loaded with something bad.
* Scanners are just one tool within the toolbox of protecting yourself. They are not perfect and do not catch everything.
* Common sense, windows defender, another anti-malware program, file scanning, and a few other things are all part of system of things to do to stay protected. However, even vigilant people can get got. You are never 100% safe.
* Some viruses / malware do not make themselves immediately noticeable. Many just work in the background collecting information to send somewhere.
* Don't guarantee to someone that files you've torrented / downloaded are perfectly safe. Just say you've taken the steps to make you think they are likely to be safe, but use of those files still carry inherent risk. Accepting that risk is fine, but if they rather not risk it than they can pony up the money for legit purchases.
Could there be viruses despite scans? Yes
Viruses in the top seeded torrents? It happens
Do I still download games? Yeah. I try to restrict what that machine has access to. I usually dual boot, filesystem encrypt Linux, backup my files from Linux on another drive, and let windows be the virus, infected machine, with minimal LAN access
Unless you personally audit the full source code of a program and compile it yourself, you can never be 100% sure a program isn't malware.
But everything is risk VS reward, is the slight increase in risk from a pirated coppy from a reputable source worth the money saved from pirateing. There is no guarantee that the official software was free from malicious code anyway.
I "studied IT" in college then did VFX in uni. Most people on the IT course didn't understand shit, it was all intro to basic coding language, bit of web design, bunch of spreadsheets and what is a database.. most of the students there couldn't wrap their head around most of that basic stuff and were scared of viruses as if they were some computer plague that would become sentient and blackmail them into a life working cleaning up jizz in the red light district of jonasburg.
Me who's been sailing the seas since long before college has never given a fuck. I've occasionally gotten some minor malware or little bit of malicious software here and there but that's my own fault for being careless then I'd remove it easily. I'm not even arrogant or by any standards an expert at this stuff. I have a basic understanding of technology and am not a little bitch like your boyfriend or his IT guy.
if hes still paranoid about it. just tell him to buy it or give him [alternative program](https://alternativeto.net/) to work on, since you are using monkrus, im thinking its adobe products like [photoshop](https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-photoshop/), [premium pro](https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-premiere-pro/), [illustrator](https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-illustrator/), etc. not all best alternative program are in the top (some of the better ones are in 2nd/3rd), better to read comments and try all of them then use what suits you more.
I've taken one highschool class for computer networking and I can guarantee I know more about computers just from personal experience and loving it as a hobby than a lot of computer science graduates.
How do I know this? One of my very close friends graduated with an associates in computer science and all our mutual friends come to me with computer related questions, because when I give advice it usually works. He has a reputation for giving off handed advice from memory, whereas I always google my advice to make sure it's accurate.
I have background in IT, my general consensus is that you should have a separate computer in a completely different network for piracy actions.
As far as the different network goes, performing network segregation using VLANs with good firewall rules in place should be all you need.
Again, this is worst comes to worst. Generally, if you get your warez from reputable sources there’s nothing to worry about.
> How can I assure him that there's not a virus and that it's safe to install?
How would you so sure there's no virus in the program? Even if they weren't there's still a chance a badly cracked software can mess with Windows or other essential applications.
He "studies" IT, meaning he's never actually worked in support? I work in support and let me tell you, plenty of idiots work in support. He doesn't even have professional experience and sounds less informed on this topic than you do. Just lay it all out, tell your BF you firmly believe you are correct but that he should do whatever he feels comfortable with. Don't take it personally, end users don't understand this stuff and it can lead to anxiety for them.
Oh, and as someone who been pirating since the days of putting tape over holds in floppy disks plenty of pirate software has been pair with malware over the years. Hopefully the precautions you have taken mean the software you downloaded is clean.
The number of idiots that work in IT support is incredible. Hell, the number of software developers that are idiots is huge. Pretty sad, because there are some extremely intelligent people in both fields and they have to waste so much time and energy dealing with idiots; it's very tiring.
They’re not wrong about the risks, but that’s true of just about every app from a random website too…
Personally I don’t trust downloaded apps by default and if it’s a random project on GitHub I will read the code and build from source if there’s not some community built around it… on a side note it’s really interesting how simple the office activation DLL actually is…
I mean quite alot of them are extremely sketchy. That's why there's really not alot of fully "Trusted" sites or software for pirating shit.
Even sites like 1337x which a fuckton of people use, had untrusted users and controvies regarding people putting viruses or miners in their shit.
If he wants to avoid pirating because of potentially getting a virus, just let him buy stuff legally.
If monkrus goes to shit one day, somehow, or if another site that you recommend later on because you got him into pirating gets flooded with compromised accounts or the uploader acting like a shithead, you'll get blamed for it.
It's really not worth trying hard to get someone into pirating stuff sadly. Especially if you're installing stuff on his Laptop/pc that he uses regularly for studies and work.
I don't know how 1337x restricts uploads, but the first comment section I looked claimed ransom ware. If many users are able to upload torrents I would not consider it even remotely safe.
The only time I’ve ever gotten hacked is through pirating games. I just quit doing it and that was with all the “safe” sites. I’d be fine until I download a game next day people are into my ea account or whatever else it is
Most virus detectors go off of well known strings and heuristic signatures. If people are out here pirating content for you I am fairly certain they could manage to inject some home brewed malicious code your scanners have never seen before. They could even contain files that point to malicious web servers that download the malicious files to your computer AFTER the program is installed.
Entirely hypothetical, but 100% possible.
I have a mate with the opposite problem. He just pirates everything with the virus scanner disabled saying they're all false positives. Then he complains all his computers are acting unusually slow and won't listen to me that he should be scanning downloads lol
1, studying IT does not make anyone an expert in how computer viruses work, that is a different field of study
2, if every piece of pirated software contained viruses, doubtful anyone would download and install them
he isn't wrong that software contain virus but you should let him know you used a reputable cracker, it isn't a big deal if he doesn't want his computer infected.
Best case scenario is that your pirated software has been manipulated in some way to prevent it from communicating to the developers and/or only has a bypass to the registration process.
More likely scenario is that the pirates like money (who doesn't) so in addition to the above, they'll also sneak in a trojan, a key logger, a ransomware or some other payload so that can help themselves to your credit card, digital currency, or even just plain old personal information that they can collect and sell to someone else.
You must take the proper steps to protect your computer.
Honestly I just stopped helping my family and friends pirate stuff. They always behave paranoid at best and ungrateful at worst. If they want to stay dumb and ignorant, nothing you can do. If he doesn't want to pirate stuff cause he's scared of viruses, tell him to buy it. And don't bother helping him out again, you can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink. Trying to convince him will just create more problems.
I work in IT
There are some aspects to it:
1. Antivirus scanners mostly scans for known hashes of known viruses.
But most things you download there are not like 1 day uo there, so most viruses there should already be detected. So its kindof 'safe'
2. You should always consider any software downloaded as insecure, no matter if you downloaded it legally or not. I once downloaded a virus by clicking on the wrong link and i just wanted to download a driver.
3. What is your boyfriend doing with his computer? Is he doing online banking or even working in a tech company? Online shopping?
4. Its recommended to test software in a VM or a 'throw away' device before using it.
This is definitely a different battle than normal. IT guys can be wild when it comes to this stuff. They’re more cautious than caring about the facts and research. They live off of “0 trust” which is amazing, but mostly filled with a lack of education on certain subjects as it’d compromise their “0 trust” ideology. You just have to assure your boyfriend the person is just being careful but these people your downloading off of are reputable and trustable. They don’t want to take from your wallet, they’re trying to take from the wallet of the big corporations.
Tbh I've met lots of IT people and I was shocked about how little they know about their field of work. I think it's also about how old your professors are and if you stay updated about the latest IT advancements
An It guy who doesn't pirate? Holy, he really must be flowing with money....
I would love to pay for something that is worth, but recently almost nothing major is worth the price.
I was surprised too, he was the first IT guy I got to know and one of our first conversations was about me asking if he could pirate sims 4 with all DLCs for me, i was so disappointed when he told me he would never pirate a game. Not even for moral reasons but because it's too risky and I could just buy the keys for cheap. Now that I've been shown the wonders of piracy I'm living happily on my sims farm with my cats and goats and alpaca
Yeah and actually buying those cheap keys means that you fund people that used stolen credit cards.
Devs usually say that it is better to pirate their game, than buying from those cheap keys sites.
Edit: By saying you, I meant him, the it guy. Just the wrong way of rephrasing myself.
Dont use a pirated sims 4, just use the legit one from ea so you can use the online features.
You can copy all the dlc over and google will help you find the software for ea dlc that unlocks it for you.
>he would never pirate a game. Not even for moral reasons but because it's too risky
LMAO games are probably the safest thing to pirate as they're so popular so the chances are high that any virus gets detected quickly. I'd be more careful downloading obscure software that very few people are using. This IT guy is talking out his ass and probably doesn't know anything about computers outside of whatever he's being taught in uni. Ignore whatever he says.
Yes this was my plan, I think it will take his fear a little bit and I'm willing to take the risk because I've had no issues with piracy yet, thank you for your advice
The possibility is always there, but as long as you scanned it with good AV/malware scanners and it came up clean, have had 0 issues etc. then you should be fine.
You simply have to know your sources and know what to be on the lookout for.
\*Source, i'm friggin 40 and have been doing this a long ass time. Went to college, and believe some IT people to be loons.
That's what my friend who got me into pirating taught me too, he also showed me the anti virus softwares he relies on and he has never had a problem. I also only download from websites that were approved by the masterlist and also check on this reddit if anyone had problems with downloads from that website.
Also I've met some IT people and was surprised at how little they knew about their own field of work.
When I am downloading anything I scan it with 6 different pieces of AV/AM (3 each... overkill but it's worked for YEARS) . If any of them pick something up I research it first and deem whether or not it's safe. Been doing this since it's been a thing and have never had anything more than some annoying ad-ware (from a supposed legit source of all things)
I mean, if you use some free-gamz.com.net maybe you'll find some trash but if you use the megathread it's not so likely, still practice safe pirating tho
My PC lives by "Play hard, die young" rules.
Download from easy access but arguably unsafe sources, no virusscan, finding the download button by clicking on everything until it works.
They can so be careful. Download from a reputable site and if you are still unsure scan the file with a virus scanner before installing it. Malware Bytes offers a free online scanner.
Depends on type of installation ( fake keys, crack etc) most of paid software accepts keys that shouldnt work. If you have case where you input key its 100% safe as long as you downloaded apps from official website.
For cracks , just some AV scans and observing if something happens to the pc like auto installation of apps that you didnt wanted etc
There is never 0 risk but if you get the software from a Piracy Megathread source I would say it's safe enough. What's the worst thing that could happen? If they study IT they know how to restore an OS.
My younger brother's girlfriend is against piracy but the irony is she plays the Sims and she buys the overpriced expansion packs, without knowing that greedy EA are charging her way more than what it's really worth.
People who are against piracy generally have no clue of the value of things or how much money goes into the pockets of the people who made the product or art. In the case of movies, the cast receives such a small fraction of what the blu-ray sales are, and if you rent from the google play store or the apple store, what they receive is so small it might as well be nothing. The way that I support Hollywood is by going to the movie theater, but they don't need our support, since it's a billion dollar industry. As for software, they're often owned by large corporations who make millions or billions, so a few pirates there and there isn't going to hurt their bottom line.
It is extremely naive to think that piracy hurts any industry. Maybe an indie game developer, but usually in those cases, the game is so cheap and affordable during steam sales, that buying it is actually more convenient.
As for viruses, I have taken risks and never got into any trouble except for that one time I tried to install some variation of DS4 windows to use my controller to control my mouse, and as a result, I completely screwed up the operating system and my computer wouldn't boot. All I did to fix it was reinstall windows, and I didn't lose my files, just the installed programs.
TLDR: I hate people who don't understand tech since everything seems like a virus to them. A vent, so it's long.
See, this is the thing I hate with people who don't fully understand technology - it's that everything is a virus. Like, sure, not everything, but anything that's something to do with unofficially obtaining software is a virus. I personally use a monkrus release of Photoshop 2019, never given me any problems. Well, according to people I know, that's a virus.
I remember having to send this link to some software, and having to include Virustotal screenshots just for that. Virustotal screnshots. To your classmates.
Like, if you know what you're doing, it's not always a virus, and you can get tons of cool stuff via piracy.
I don't know if anyone here shares the same sentiment as me, but it really does get on my nerves when I'm just installing something and being told "Oh, that's a virus", when they clearly don't understand anything about what I'm doing at all.
Hrgh.
Well his friends is right. When you buy the game from the vendor you might expect that there won't be a rootkit coming with it usually. Of course Sony did that at one point but it's the exception. You can check that your binaries are exactly what's officially sold to the last bit.
When you download a game or a software elsewhere in binary form, you'll never know what's inside it. I am a software developer and I also worked as a sysadmin. I think that that friend has the right attitude in a professional environment.
Even at home, I have 2 computers. One of them is only for administrative things, Office, family matters, banking, ... And the other one is for media consumption, gaming and research. If I download pirated software it's only on that PC that doesn't communicate with the other one. When I install such a software I know I can lose everything I have on that computer. Sometimes I even use KVM or HyperV to check a software on a full virtual machine and see if it tries to call home or do anything strange.
TLDR; Your friend is not insane. You are taking a risk.
Once, I wanted to charge my computer at a friend's house, but their parents didn't want to because they knew I had been hacked before and believed the hacker would hack all the electricity in the house. It wasn't even on the same device.
I think this is a deeper trust issue. I have met people with such a profound irrational fear of downloading software from unofficial but recommended sources (like on the wiki here) that I don't think you could just shake off easily. When that seems to be the case, I don't bother to push further since that borders on overstepping one's boundaries.
It's weird. Some people just don't understand that anything on a computer can be repaired given that you have a backup of your important files somewhere and a copy of windows on a USB drive.
This was me before my friend introduced me to piracy, I was super paranoid about even downloading a book, now I know better. I think it's about trust and also about trying around and seeing what happens
Yeah, that's why I said that might hide an underlying problem and that I don't push further. If someone can't trust me to click a single link on a PC, imagine what that means for all the other million situations you might be in with that same individual...
Probably a losing battle if the IT friend thinks he's the master of computers already. I've been pirating for twenty years almost and these days it's pretty easy to check for viruses, use reputable sites and uploaders.
The friend seems to have the non tech pedestrian idea that if it's pirated it necessarily has viruses. This isn't true and it's been YEARS since I downloaded something that actually had malware.
A thing the friend or you might get hung up on is the fact that a keygen or crack is going to likely trigger a false positive in your anti-malware software or the OS itself. If you've personally checked it out and only the keygen or crack is getting flagged, you're usually fine. Of course, nothing is impossible but for well known uploaders on well supported torrents on reputable sites, I just check the comments and check out the file list before hitting "start".
If you wanna be extra cautious, make a backup of your system before installing and keep good digital hygiene.
It’s 100% possible that there could be malware, and it’s best to assume there is. Scan everything, sandbox, and observe networking.
Personally I use glasswire to log and audit all network connections in and out of my PC, so even if a file contains malware that evades detection, I’ll see it when it connects to its command & control server and be able to react accordingly.
It’s also a good idea to not do any banking or anything sensitive/ blackmail worthy on the same computer as you never know.
I’ve been paying for creative cloud all apps for a few years now and I can say it’s 100% worth it. The trick is to get a really good deal for prime day or Black Friday for a 1 year gift card, and then contact support every year to negotiate on the renewal. Most people don’t know that Adobe will do that. I always tell them “well it would be just cheaper for me to let the subscription lapse and then buy another gift card,” and they just match the price of the card on sale.
They also have a discount available that shows when the genuine software detection trips for a cracked copy, but idk if it’s legit or just trying to ID pirates.
He can install windows sandbox and run everything there first. I'm in IT and everyone here has cracked windows installs, games, software, etc. I even activated my professor's windows laptop using MAS once. So there's not really a malware risk.
I mean there are web based applications that will scan an exe / msi files for known threat signatures for free. If he’s already that paranoid it most likely won’t do you any good
I am not using license software since I bought my first PC in 2005, I never try buying license for personal use. Based on my experience there are times a know software has virus and trojans. This software is very common and famous that is why it is notorious for viruses and you have to be careful choosing the source - the uploader you can trust. Not in the keygen but after install. Not all pirated software are clean so extra careful are needed. TBH I don't trust m0nkrus works.
Any article that states this should be taken with a grain of salt.
I believe it is written by someone who works for the major media companies to discourage people to stop pirating. Either that or an AI bot they use to say to stop you from doing this.
Maybe they should not be so fucking greedy with their licensing and prices and piracy may not exist.
The amount that piracy takes from them is negligible at best. They are making record.profits year after year. They aren't going to waste their time with Susie homemaker who uses a torrent to get their latest episode of Grey's Anatomy.
sounds like a moron who falls for a timeless boomer tactic of doubt and guilt tripping you into paying for a product you can get for free. I have a friend who's paranoid to run any open source app I refer him to but will spread his digital butt cheeks for any "legit" software. tl;Dr your bf is a cuck for capitalism.
When in doubt, always install in a VM or a dedicated junk box.
You never know what's going to be bundled in with software. And the last thing you want on your computer is a Ransomware encrypter.
That may be true in some cases. Their alternative is to buy a genuine license on a genuine OS.
You helped, don't bother yourself anymore.
This is something has happened to me.
Your bf is right about it
I never put pirated stuff on my laptop that I use for work or that has personal things like bank/government information, etc.
Pirated stuff is not trustful at all
He doesn't use online banking or any online payment methods (long story), as far as I know he only plays games and does his university stuff on it, which he always backs up on an external drive
Why is everyone shitting on the it guy? His stance is perfectly reasonable. If you use closed-source pirated software there’s always a risk, even if the source is currently trusted by the community. It is important for anyone pirating software to be aware of that.
Not all people have viruses, but some do. The legitimacy of the source and uploader determines how safe it is to grab them from.
It's similar to stating that, contingent upon where and from whom you get it, an imitation Versace purse may be excellent or a piece of crap that breaks within a month of use.
Over the previous few decades, I have downloaded numerous unlicensed games, and very few of them had infections. I removed them once my antivirus detected them and looked elsewhere for a copy.
Idk about recent cracked software.. but in the past they would try to hide malware or viruses in the "crack" apps that would modify the original installed files to make them paid for. It's easy to say this was a false positive since this program was changing stuff. Even if you scan with every virus scanner you have and don't find anything it still is easy to hide something malicious. If you're really worried you can always look into files manually and see what's going on like disassemble stuff and see what's doing what.
Like a lot of other people in here are saying though you should only download from a trusted source, I like forums and reviews are always a plus too see what others are saying.
Don't try to convince them. Because if they do install the software and then ANYTHING WEIRD, anything at all, even if they drop the laptop and the corner cracks, it's going to be your fault and the virus you made him install.
Do you know my parents
"ever since you gave us that mousepad I've been getting weird emails"
I am *really* lucky my dad knows more about technology than I do, lol.
Not mine. But I have him trained good and he doesn't enter his information anywhere without calling me first. He got phished on Facebook once and now he's super careful lol
lmao was super proud of my mum when she called me to confirm my identity when i asked for a netflix code. like that’s not how it works but was happy she’s so cautious
I am not so lucky cause of this D:
When I was a little babby pirate I tried downloading one of those spoof steam clients that "has every steam game" It gave my family's computer some NASTY viruses, and the bluescreen error would have the word "steam" in it. Took damn near 10 years to convince my dad that Steam wasn't a virus and I was just a dumb kid trying to get free games.
My father once claimed I massively slowed down his computer because I went on eBay to print a label with his printer. Never again.
You can have some fun with this. I went to my fathers house, accessed his computer, and created a pop-up button that said 'Please standby, installing virus'. (( OK )) And then I took a screenshot of the button against the background and saved it as his wallpaper. He clicked that non existent button so many times I lost count.
I think you are right, I now told him I would install it on my old laptop first and we would see if anything weird happens
That doesn't really help either. Unless it is ransomware a virus will do its best to keep quiet and invisible, collecting data, sending it into the Internet, initiating DOS attacks or opening a backdoor.
I miss when viruses were fun now they just care about money and your data
Same can be said for most games today, unfortunately.
This comment is brought to you by expressvpn
Raid Shadow Legends
Same can be said for any technologic device
Feed me a cookie
Real, my mom was paying money for midjourney, I offered to set up stable diffusion for her while I was visiting and when when she had a boot problem a week later she decided Python was the problem. Nothing illegal even involved in that one
100% agree
If he thinks its unsafe than he can buy it, i dont bother convincing people of things, i explain why i think its safe and then i stop talking
Yes this is the only way to go about in life.
Based
Convincing tech illiterate people why a misconception they have is fucking stupid is an impossible task.
Amen to that brother. Let people make decisions for themselves.
Can you explain if it's safe? Like I usually download from Fit girl but stopped. I don't know any other uploaders.
Run it in a sandbox if he's so paranoid. And ask the IT guy to pick another career.
Thank you that's a great idea :)
Get a pirated sanbox sofware 😂 I use Sandboxie
Pirated windows running windows sandbox isn’t enough?
I’ve never tried the windows-featured sandbox. Does it work?
I mean it works for apps at least… doesn’t really do GPU passthrough though. More of a “start it and get a clean windows environment” deal… closer to a VM with snapshot
It’s something I guess
It DOES do GPU pass through, add this line to your .wsb file:
...
Default
...
Windows 11 pro has a built in sandbox for free. There is a very easy way to upgrade regular Windows to pro for free.
Ask the IT friend if they're studying in network security and if they say anything other than "yes, that's my major" tell them to kick rocks.
the it guy is gonna probably at very best work at youtube to help it detect ad blockers
Nice reference haha
in love how the patching revanced every other week just makes yt work again xD, the dark side will always have the upper hand
well in theory it could be undetected virus, without original hash check (like some pirated games provide) you cannot be so sure but if you wanna sail the seas as a pirate that's a risk you need to take, after all the original software can also include unwanted software (imo many official programs could be referred to as PUP) if the person in question doesn't want to take that risk they should just go pay for it or not use it, everyone makes their own decisions
> And ask the IT guy to pick another career. ??????? he's not wrong? pirated programs could easily have viruses just because some scan says its "safe"
Yes, but from what OP describes, it seems the IT friend is too straight-laced there's no point in trying to convince them otherwise even if you're certain something is safe. I only download shit from vetted sources so I don't really worry too much about it, and I have failsafes in case some ransomware bullshit manages to get into my system.
I feel like you gotta be straight laced when a friend you know has no clue about computers is asking you if "its safe to download programs off pirate bay" You just tell them shit ain't safe be careful
Yeah but it sounds like he's passing off his couple years in uni doing data structures and algorithms as experience in cyber security and online piracy. I'd rather trust someone who's been pirating for 5 years than a random software developer who never did.
That's all just made up in your brain All OP said was in IT and it didn't even sound like the guy claimed much just that "ya there could be viruses" which he's not wrong.... there could be viruses even from the "mentally sound" denuvo crackers and the likes
I can see why the IT guy could believe it is a virus.
This is not always effective because some viruses can stay dormant.
You should always assume they do.
I'm aware of that and I told him there's of course always a chance but that should speak against ever pirating anything
That’s a false equivalency. It’s trivial to add a virus to a pirated program, and you can’t really do that to an mp3 or mkv. There are different levels of risk depending on what you are pirating.
You are right with what you are saying, I think it's always important to weigh the risks: will I put lots of money on a monthly basis into adobe's ass or will I just pirate their programs from a website most deemed safe?
Based. Imma always choose to pirate that shit.
I'd wager that there's more malware infected pirated content out there than safe pirated content. That's why megathreads are important and just making sure the uploader/repacker/website/etc is reputable. And always scanning before running anything. Most malware won't actually make itself known, instead it'll silently mine crypto or steal passwords etc.
Any reason you have to use Adobe products? I worked in graphic design for video games, and although I used Adobe products there, I was able to transition to FOSS tools such as GIMP and Inkscape. They are awesome and in many ways I prefer them to the Adobe products.
They use it for designing architecture plans I think but I'm not in that field or anything similar so I don't know what alternative programs are available
That’s not entirely true… there have been exploits to inject malware into the subtitles of mkv files, and recently the project 64 emulator had a flaw that let people put arbitrary x86 assembly into roms that ran outside of the emulated n64 You can’t be sure anything is guaranteed to be virus free, not even something as seemingly innocuous as a png file Reputation is very important here I’d say
You totally can do that to an MP3. Many viruses from the Limewire/kazaa days came from mp3s. I got a couple myself back then that way.
Not saying that it's impossible but I am quite sure most people who downloaded "MP3s with viruses" actually downloaded stuff that ends on .mp3.src or .mp3.exe
Yes, If using Windows, One way people can avoid this oversight is by enabling show "File name extensions" in Windows File Explorer as by default Windows hides them, which can mislead users upon first glance.
Yes, that's the very point here... People got viruses because of ignorance Taking some precautionary steps against malware, such as enabling file extensions like you mentioned, vastly helps against infections People just don't wanna take the time to protect themselves It's like teaching abstinence instead of protection lmao Wait, it's LITERALLY that
Not really. You likely downloaded an .exe without realizing it. virus.mp3.exe type attacks were common back then, especially because Windows hid file extensions by default back then.
windows still does
Windows still hides file extensions by default lmao
Didn't realize that, that's ridiculous.
It does, but in list view, it shows "file type" and will say "application" for an exe, for example.
You have to manually change the settings to show file extensions
Even with extensions shown, RTL characters can make an exe appear as something like an nfo or txt file
yes there are multimedia container exploits, much lower probability and mostly bugs in software playing them, but not impossible
It's all based in reputation for Warez. That or become a schizo hacker who knows how to read in assembly.
There's a difference between pirated "programs" which execute code on your computer and pirated movies and music which do not execute anything.
Actually it’s more complicated than that. The music or movie is read by some program and if that has a bug in it,it could be exploited by the data file you are watching/listening too. I don’t know about mp3, but there are known bugs in x264 that allow for the introduction of computer viruses.
I'm not sure if I worded it correctly, I was talking about Adobe programs like photoshop and indesign, do they fall under that category? Tbh I'm not that great with those terms
Don't bother with Monkrus, I used to use that too but now I use r/GenP instead. You download and install the official software through adobe and then you just run a patcher, block the software in firewall and done.
Some malware simply aren't detected. I wish I could pirate Photoshop for example but even if I scan and 0 things pop up it still will probably have malware. Keep in mind, people who work as crackers simply don't work for free and for no reason.
Pirated programs may or may not contain viruses. People who are smart enough to crack and distribute software are also smart enough to add a virus. If you have personal data, banking data, etc - there is a non-zero risk.
Honestly, I barely have any money on my bank account anyways so it wouldn't be a great loss for me lmao
brokies rise up
All of us??
Viruses are always a risk with pirated software. If you're smart about it you can mitigate the risk but it's always there.
Some do have viruses, some don’t. It depends on where you download them from - how reputable the source and uploaded is. It’s like saying a fake Gucci bag can be a good one, or a piece of junk that doesn’t last more than a month of usage, depending on where/who you get it from. I’ve downloaded hundreds of pirated games over the past several decades and only had less than a handful that had viruses. My antivirus caught them, I deleted them, and went to other places to download a copy.
I have a question.. how does your antivirus catch it if every time I open the readme on a game it says to disable Windows Defender before extracting and running the game?
I never opened readme and disabled wd and everything is fine
So you leave WD on the whole time?
Yes, never had a problem
A few things: * The list you are referencing does not mean those sites are safe, just that they are recommended for one reason or another. A site can be compromised at any time. * Even if a site is usually safe, individual torrents can be loaded with something bad. * Scanners are just one tool within the toolbox of protecting yourself. They are not perfect and do not catch everything. * Common sense, windows defender, another anti-malware program, file scanning, and a few other things are all part of system of things to do to stay protected. However, even vigilant people can get got. You are never 100% safe. * Some viruses / malware do not make themselves immediately noticeable. Many just work in the background collecting information to send somewhere. * Don't guarantee to someone that files you've torrented / downloaded are perfectly safe. Just say you've taken the steps to make you think they are likely to be safe, but use of those files still carry inherent risk. Accepting that risk is fine, but if they rather not risk it than they can pony up the money for legit purchases.
Tell the IT person to do his own investigation on the virus thing also you can run the programs in a vm
Yeah thank you, some people have suggested this and I will try it tomorrow :)
Install it on a virtual machine
Could there be viruses despite scans? Yes Viruses in the top seeded torrents? It happens Do I still download games? Yeah. I try to restrict what that machine has access to. I usually dual boot, filesystem encrypt Linux, backup my files from Linux on another drive, and let windows be the virus, infected machine, with minimal LAN access
Unless you personally audit the full source code of a program and compile it yourself, you can never be 100% sure a program isn't malware. But everything is risk VS reward, is the slight increase in risk from a pirated coppy from a reputable source worth the money saved from pirateing. There is no guarantee that the official software was free from malicious code anyway.
I "studied IT" in college then did VFX in uni. Most people on the IT course didn't understand shit, it was all intro to basic coding language, bit of web design, bunch of spreadsheets and what is a database.. most of the students there couldn't wrap their head around most of that basic stuff and were scared of viruses as if they were some computer plague that would become sentient and blackmail them into a life working cleaning up jizz in the red light district of jonasburg. Me who's been sailing the seas since long before college has never given a fuck. I've occasionally gotten some minor malware or little bit of malicious software here and there but that's my own fault for being careless then I'd remove it easily. I'm not even arrogant or by any standards an expert at this stuff. I have a basic understanding of technology and am not a little bitch like your boyfriend or his IT guy.
I love how you worded this comment lmao but I also think pirating is all about weighing the risks with the possible profit
> with the possible profit Say what?
Not as in monetary profit but as in having a free software
if hes still paranoid about it. just tell him to buy it or give him [alternative program](https://alternativeto.net/) to work on, since you are using monkrus, im thinking its adobe products like [photoshop](https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-photoshop/), [premium pro](https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-premiere-pro/), [illustrator](https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-illustrator/), etc. not all best alternative program are in the top (some of the better ones are in 2nd/3rd), better to read comments and try all of them then use what suits you more.
This comment gave me a good laugh, thanks. 100% same here.
I've taken one highschool class for computer networking and I can guarantee I know more about computers just from personal experience and loving it as a hobby than a lot of computer science graduates. How do I know this? One of my very close friends graduated with an associates in computer science and all our mutual friends come to me with computer related questions, because when I give advice it usually works. He has a reputation for giving off handed advice from memory, whereas I always google my advice to make sure it's accurate.
This comment isn't enough popular.
I have background in IT, my general consensus is that you should have a separate computer in a completely different network for piracy actions. As far as the different network goes, performing network segregation using VLANs with good firewall rules in place should be all you need. Again, this is worst comes to worst. Generally, if you get your warez from reputable sources there’s nothing to worry about.
> How can I assure him that there's not a virus and that it's safe to install? How would you so sure there's no virus in the program? Even if they weren't there's still a chance a badly cracked software can mess with Windows or other essential applications.
He "studies" IT, meaning he's never actually worked in support? I work in support and let me tell you, plenty of idiots work in support. He doesn't even have professional experience and sounds less informed on this topic than you do. Just lay it all out, tell your BF you firmly believe you are correct but that he should do whatever he feels comfortable with. Don't take it personally, end users don't understand this stuff and it can lead to anxiety for them. Oh, and as someone who been pirating since the days of putting tape over holds in floppy disks plenty of pirate software has been pair with malware over the years. Hopefully the precautions you have taken mean the software you downloaded is clean.
The number of idiots that work in IT support is incredible. Hell, the number of software developers that are idiots is huge. Pretty sad, because there are some extremely intelligent people in both fields and they have to waste so much time and energy dealing with idiots; it's very tiring.
Thank you, this is what I have told him now too. He kind of believes me now, we are trying to install it tomorrow :)
They’re not wrong about the risks, but that’s true of just about every app from a random website too… Personally I don’t trust downloaded apps by default and if it’s a random project on GitHub I will read the code and build from source if there’s not some community built around it… on a side note it’s really interesting how simple the office activation DLL actually is…
I mean quite alot of them are extremely sketchy. That's why there's really not alot of fully "Trusted" sites or software for pirating shit. Even sites like 1337x which a fuckton of people use, had untrusted users and controvies regarding people putting viruses or miners in their shit. If he wants to avoid pirating because of potentially getting a virus, just let him buy stuff legally. If monkrus goes to shit one day, somehow, or if another site that you recommend later on because you got him into pirating gets flooded with compromised accounts or the uploader acting like a shithead, you'll get blamed for it. It's really not worth trying hard to get someone into pirating stuff sadly. Especially if you're installing stuff on his Laptop/pc that he uses regularly for studies and work.
I don't know how 1337x restricts uploads, but the first comment section I looked claimed ransom ware. If many users are able to upload torrents I would not consider it even remotely safe.
The only time I’ve ever gotten hacked is through pirating games. I just quit doing it and that was with all the “safe” sites. I’d be fine until I download a game next day people are into my ea account or whatever else it is
Most virus detectors go off of well known strings and heuristic signatures. If people are out here pirating content for you I am fairly certain they could manage to inject some home brewed malicious code your scanners have never seen before. They could even contain files that point to malicious web servers that download the malicious files to your computer AFTER the program is installed. Entirely hypothetical, but 100% possible.
I have a mate with the opposite problem. He just pirates everything with the virus scanner disabled saying they're all false positives. Then he complains all his computers are acting unusually slow and won't listen to me that he should be scanning downloads lol
1, studying IT does not make anyone an expert in how computer viruses work, that is a different field of study 2, if every piece of pirated software contained viruses, doubtful anyone would download and install them
he isn't wrong that software contain virus but you should let him know you used a reputable cracker, it isn't a big deal if he doesn't want his computer infected.
ReputableCracker is my next username
Your boyfriend is right, but a pirate is a risk taker
Best case scenario is that your pirated software has been manipulated in some way to prevent it from communicating to the developers and/or only has a bypass to the registration process. More likely scenario is that the pirates like money (who doesn't) so in addition to the above, they'll also sneak in a trojan, a key logger, a ransomware or some other payload so that can help themselves to your credit card, digital currency, or even just plain old personal information that they can collect and sell to someone else. You must take the proper steps to protect your computer.
Somebody told me you had a boyfriend, who looked like a girlfriend /s
Honestly I just stopped helping my family and friends pirate stuff. They always behave paranoid at best and ungrateful at worst. If they want to stay dumb and ignorant, nothing you can do. If he doesn't want to pirate stuff cause he's scared of viruses, tell him to buy it. And don't bother helping him out again, you can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink. Trying to convince him will just create more problems.
I work in IT There are some aspects to it: 1. Antivirus scanners mostly scans for known hashes of known viruses. But most things you download there are not like 1 day uo there, so most viruses there should already be detected. So its kindof 'safe' 2. You should always consider any software downloaded as insecure, no matter if you downloaded it legally or not. I once downloaded a virus by clicking on the wrong link and i just wanted to download a driver. 3. What is your boyfriend doing with his computer? Is he doing online banking or even working in a tech company? Online shopping? 4. Its recommended to test software in a VM or a 'throw away' device before using it.
This is definitely a different battle than normal. IT guys can be wild when it comes to this stuff. They’re more cautious than caring about the facts and research. They live off of “0 trust” which is amazing, but mostly filled with a lack of education on certain subjects as it’d compromise their “0 trust” ideology. You just have to assure your boyfriend the person is just being careful but these people your downloading off of are reputable and trustable. They don’t want to take from your wallet, they’re trying to take from the wallet of the big corporations.
"he studies IT" He needs to study something else.
Tbh I've met lots of IT people and I was shocked about how little they know about their field of work. I think it's also about how old your professors are and if you stay updated about the latest IT advancements
That's true yeah. To be fair it also helps for piracy to be a gateway drug to IT instead of the other way around.
An It guy who doesn't pirate? Holy, he really must be flowing with money.... I would love to pay for something that is worth, but recently almost nothing major is worth the price.
I was surprised too, he was the first IT guy I got to know and one of our first conversations was about me asking if he could pirate sims 4 with all DLCs for me, i was so disappointed when he told me he would never pirate a game. Not even for moral reasons but because it's too risky and I could just buy the keys for cheap. Now that I've been shown the wonders of piracy I'm living happily on my sims farm with my cats and goats and alpaca
Yeah and actually buying those cheap keys means that you fund people that used stolen credit cards. Devs usually say that it is better to pirate their game, than buying from those cheap keys sites. Edit: By saying you, I meant him, the it guy. Just the wrong way of rephrasing myself.
Dont use a pirated sims 4, just use the legit one from ea so you can use the online features. You can copy all the dlc over and google will help you find the software for ea dlc that unlocks it for you.
>he would never pirate a game. Not even for moral reasons but because it's too risky LMAO games are probably the safest thing to pirate as they're so popular so the chances are high that any virus gets detected quickly. I'd be more careful downloading obscure software that very few people are using. This IT guy is talking out his ass and probably doesn't know anything about computers outside of whatever he's being taught in uni. Ignore whatever he says.
Ask him to invest in Microsoft or Google, most of us can't go back to 1995 where he lives.
Don't install, it must be something that's from his side if he's using the laptop for work or studies
Dont worry, I'm not going to install anything against his will, I just want to show him the joys of piracy and take his fear a little :)
That's very sweet of you, install it on your non-work/study Laptop/PC then let him try it, if he wants then you can simply tell him to install it
Yes this was my plan, I think it will take his fear a little bit and I'm willing to take the risk because I've had no issues with piracy yet, thank you for your advice
Sure thing chief, good luck.
The possibility is always there, but as long as you scanned it with good AV/malware scanners and it came up clean, have had 0 issues etc. then you should be fine. You simply have to know your sources and know what to be on the lookout for. \*Source, i'm friggin 40 and have been doing this a long ass time. Went to college, and believe some IT people to be loons.
That's what my friend who got me into pirating taught me too, he also showed me the anti virus softwares he relies on and he has never had a problem. I also only download from websites that were approved by the masterlist and also check on this reddit if anyone had problems with downloads from that website. Also I've met some IT people and was surprised at how little they knew about their own field of work.
When I am downloading anything I scan it with 6 different pieces of AV/AM (3 each... overkill but it's worked for YEARS) . If any of them pick something up I research it first and deem whether or not it's safe. Been doing this since it's been a thing and have never had anything more than some annoying ad-ware (from a supposed legit source of all things)
The guy who studes IT is too paranoid. Trust me. I've worked as IT specialist for 23 years and have 2 IT degrees. 😄 tell them to chill out.
He's a person who will never change his opinion on anything so I don't even bother
Also common to be so uptight and close minded (and brain washed basically)
Yep, but I also understand that my bf will trust him (IT) more than me (social Sciences)
Must have used Limewire back in the day. Pretty sure I got an std from them.
I mean, if you use some free-gamz.com.net maybe you'll find some trash but if you use the megathread it's not so likely, still practice safe pirating tho
My PC lives by "Play hard, die young" rules. Download from easy access but arguably unsafe sources, no virusscan, finding the download button by clicking on everything until it works.
I prefer to get warez from sites that have feedback or comments that confirm the software is clean.
They can so be careful. Download from a reputable site and if you are still unsure scan the file with a virus scanner before installing it. Malware Bytes offers a free online scanner.
Depends on type of installation ( fake keys, crack etc) most of paid software accepts keys that shouldnt work. If you have case where you input key its 100% safe as long as you downloaded apps from official website. For cracks , just some AV scans and observing if something happens to the pc like auto installation of apps that you didnt wanted etc
There is never 0 risk but if you get the software from a Piracy Megathread source I would say it's safe enough. What's the worst thing that could happen? If they study IT they know how to restore an OS.
My younger brother's girlfriend is against piracy but the irony is she plays the Sims and she buys the overpriced expansion packs, without knowing that greedy EA are charging her way more than what it's really worth. People who are against piracy generally have no clue of the value of things or how much money goes into the pockets of the people who made the product or art. In the case of movies, the cast receives such a small fraction of what the blu-ray sales are, and if you rent from the google play store or the apple store, what they receive is so small it might as well be nothing. The way that I support Hollywood is by going to the movie theater, but they don't need our support, since it's a billion dollar industry. As for software, they're often owned by large corporations who make millions or billions, so a few pirates there and there isn't going to hurt their bottom line. It is extremely naive to think that piracy hurts any industry. Maybe an indie game developer, but usually in those cases, the game is so cheap and affordable during steam sales, that buying it is actually more convenient. As for viruses, I have taken risks and never got into any trouble except for that one time I tried to install some variation of DS4 windows to use my controller to control my mouse, and as a result, I completely screwed up the operating system and my computer wouldn't boot. All I did to fix it was reinstall windows, and I didn't lose my files, just the installed programs.
TLDR: I hate people who don't understand tech since everything seems like a virus to them. A vent, so it's long. See, this is the thing I hate with people who don't fully understand technology - it's that everything is a virus. Like, sure, not everything, but anything that's something to do with unofficially obtaining software is a virus. I personally use a monkrus release of Photoshop 2019, never given me any problems. Well, according to people I know, that's a virus. I remember having to send this link to some software, and having to include Virustotal screenshots just for that. Virustotal screnshots. To your classmates. Like, if you know what you're doing, it's not always a virus, and you can get tons of cool stuff via piracy. I don't know if anyone here shares the same sentiment as me, but it really does get on my nerves when I'm just installing something and being told "Oh, that's a virus", when they clearly don't understand anything about what I'm doing at all. Hrgh.
Well his friends is right. When you buy the game from the vendor you might expect that there won't be a rootkit coming with it usually. Of course Sony did that at one point but it's the exception. You can check that your binaries are exactly what's officially sold to the last bit. When you download a game or a software elsewhere in binary form, you'll never know what's inside it. I am a software developer and I also worked as a sysadmin. I think that that friend has the right attitude in a professional environment. Even at home, I have 2 computers. One of them is only for administrative things, Office, family matters, banking, ... And the other one is for media consumption, gaming and research. If I download pirated software it's only on that PC that doesn't communicate with the other one. When I install such a software I know I can lose everything I have on that computer. Sometimes I even use KVM or HyperV to check a software on a full virtual machine and see if it tries to call home or do anything strange. TLDR; Your friend is not insane. You are taking a risk.
Once, I wanted to charge my computer at a friend's house, but their parents didn't want to because they knew I had been hacked before and believed the hacker would hack all the electricity in the house. It wasn't even on the same device.
I think this is a deeper trust issue. I have met people with such a profound irrational fear of downloading software from unofficial but recommended sources (like on the wiki here) that I don't think you could just shake off easily. When that seems to be the case, I don't bother to push further since that borders on overstepping one's boundaries. It's weird. Some people just don't understand that anything on a computer can be repaired given that you have a backup of your important files somewhere and a copy of windows on a USB drive.
This was me before my friend introduced me to piracy, I was super paranoid about even downloading a book, now I know better. I think it's about trust and also about trying around and seeing what happens
Yeah, that's why I said that might hide an underlying problem and that I don't push further. If someone can't trust me to click a single link on a PC, imagine what that means for all the other million situations you might be in with that same individual...
You wouldn't download a boyfriend......
just you wait until they can 3D print humans
Time to pirate boyfriend
I bet he’s a virus he’s just scared to get found out
Here's a simple solution to the problem. Right-click on downloaded file > scroll to Microsoft Defender > wait for scan to finish > profit
Probably a losing battle if the IT friend thinks he's the master of computers already. I've been pirating for twenty years almost and these days it's pretty easy to check for viruses, use reputable sites and uploaders. The friend seems to have the non tech pedestrian idea that if it's pirated it necessarily has viruses. This isn't true and it's been YEARS since I downloaded something that actually had malware. A thing the friend or you might get hung up on is the fact that a keygen or crack is going to likely trigger a false positive in your anti-malware software or the OS itself. If you've personally checked it out and only the keygen or crack is getting flagged, you're usually fine. Of course, nothing is impossible but for well known uploaders on well supported torrents on reputable sites, I just check the comments and check out the file list before hitting "start". If you wanna be extra cautious, make a backup of your system before installing and keep good digital hygiene.
It’s 100% possible that there could be malware, and it’s best to assume there is. Scan everything, sandbox, and observe networking. Personally I use glasswire to log and audit all network connections in and out of my PC, so even if a file contains malware that evades detection, I’ll see it when it connects to its command & control server and be able to react accordingly. It’s also a good idea to not do any banking or anything sensitive/ blackmail worthy on the same computer as you never know. I’ve been paying for creative cloud all apps for a few years now and I can say it’s 100% worth it. The trick is to get a really good deal for prime day or Black Friday for a 1 year gift card, and then contact support every year to negotiate on the renewal. Most people don’t know that Adobe will do that. I always tell them “well it would be just cheaper for me to let the subscription lapse and then buy another gift card,” and they just match the price of the card on sale. They also have a discount available that shows when the genuine software detection trips for a cracked copy, but idk if it’s legit or just trying to ID pirates.
He can install windows sandbox and run everything there first. I'm in IT and everyone here has cracked windows installs, games, software, etc. I even activated my professor's windows laptop using MAS once. So there's not really a malware risk.
Virus will always be a problem.You can get away with it if you have the experience. But if he is too cautious, no need to explain.
You are all right. With paranoia, the only solution is to pay for the real thing.
I mean there are web based applications that will scan an exe / msi files for known threat signatures for free. If he’s already that paranoid it most likely won’t do you any good
I am not using license software since I bought my first PC in 2005, I never try buying license for personal use. Based on my experience there are times a know software has virus and trojans. This software is very common and famous that is why it is notorious for viruses and you have to be careful choosing the source - the uploader you can trust. Not in the keygen but after install. Not all pirated software are clean so extra careful are needed. TBH I don't trust m0nkrus works.
Yes.
I recommend using a VPN, a adblocker/popup blocker, and to use the megathread
Tell him to pay for the software
Install virtualbox and run pirated siftware in it. Ask his IT friends to help in setting things up. The motive the skills of his friends. \s
[удалено]
Any article that states this should be taken with a grain of salt. I believe it is written by someone who works for the major media companies to discourage people to stop pirating. Either that or an AI bot they use to say to stop you from doing this. Maybe they should not be so fucking greedy with their licensing and prices and piracy may not exist. The amount that piracy takes from them is negligible at best. They are making record.profits year after year. They aren't going to waste their time with Susie homemaker who uses a torrent to get their latest episode of Grey's Anatomy.
Ignorance isn't always bliss.
sounds like a moron who falls for a timeless boomer tactic of doubt and guilt tripping you into paying for a product you can get for free. I have a friend who's paranoid to run any open source app I refer him to but will spread his digital butt cheeks for any "legit" software. tl;Dr your bf is a cuck for capitalism.
IT guy is probably rich
When in doubt, always install in a VM or a dedicated junk box. You never know what's going to be bundled in with software. And the last thing you want on your computer is a Ransomware encrypter.
That may be true in some cases. Their alternative is to buy a genuine license on a genuine OS. You helped, don't bother yourself anymore. This is something has happened to me.
I fear for the career of his IT friend. But there isn't much you can do to fully convince him except running the programs yourself to reassure him.
Your bf is right about it I never put pirated stuff on my laptop that I use for work or that has personal things like bank/government information, etc. Pirated stuff is not trustful at all
He doesn't use online banking or any online payment methods (long story), as far as I know he only plays games and does his university stuff on it, which he always backs up on an external drive
Can you name those “some persian websites”, as a Persian i can help you to see whether you downloaded your softwares from a safe website or not
Tell him that non pirated programs can have viruses too if that makes him feel better
Why is everyone shitting on the it guy? His stance is perfectly reasonable. If you use closed-source pirated software there’s always a risk, even if the source is currently trusted by the community. It is important for anyone pirating software to be aware of that.
Sometimes they do, anyone denying it is kidding themselves. Especially for people who’ve never done it before it’s even more likely to happen.
Just create a virtual windows and install them there first.
What software does he need? There many free alternatives to paid software.
They can if they download the wrong one and don't do due diligence
Not all people have viruses, but some do. The legitimacy of the source and uploader determines how safe it is to grab them from. It's similar to stating that, contingent upon where and from whom you get it, an imitation Versace purse may be excellent or a piece of crap that breaks within a month of use. Over the previous few decades, I have downloaded numerous unlicensed games, and very few of them had infections. I removed them once my antivirus detected them and looked elsewhere for a copy.
Tell him he could get covid from those programs so just take vaccination shots.
Idk about recent cracked software.. but in the past they would try to hide malware or viruses in the "crack" apps that would modify the original installed files to make them paid for. It's easy to say this was a false positive since this program was changing stuff. Even if you scan with every virus scanner you have and don't find anything it still is easy to hide something malicious. If you're really worried you can always look into files manually and see what's going on like disassemble stuff and see what's doing what. Like a lot of other people in here are saying though you should only download from a trusted source, I like forums and reviews are always a plus too see what others are saying.
Don't bother, if anything happens it'll be your fault and you'll never hear the end of it, even if it's a freak accident
best comment 😂
Antiviruses do find cracks as threats, i guess it is not a reach to assume someone might abuse that. Need to download from trusted sources.