by installing kazaa media desktop and connecting to the internet am i
opening my computer to outside
control or viewing?  i guess my question is: are there security
concerns that i should be aware of?  if so, what precautions can i
take?

Hi, 

In a manner of speaking the answer is Yes, but not in the manner you
are probably relating this too. As far as I know, and I check quite a
bit, there are no security holes currently in kazaa that allow for
remote control or access to your system. Of course there is access to
the files you allow for sharing, but that's not a security hole, it's
a feature :-)

There is however problems with the client itself controlling your
world a bit.

Afterdawn.com
http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/3390.cfm

ZDNetIndia.com
http://www.zdnetindia.com/biztech/ebusiness/ecomm/stories/67561.html

So, at this point this is the only real worry in dealing with this
product. That it installs other programs and diverts your funds is a
bit of a struggle for most users, but it may not be a problem for you.
If it is not, then there are no other worries at this time.

Thanks, 

webadept-ga

good answer.  thanks

peerless,

In addition to the outright theft mentioned by webadept, many users
have expressed serious complaints with the Kazaa software, which has
been classified by countless users who were duped into using it as
"scumware".

Kazaa installs "spyware" (which monitors and records activities on the
computer, sending the information back to a site on the web), modifies
URL links to redirect traffic to other sites than originally intended
by the links, allows the spreading of worms through the Kazaa
file-sharing network, and a host of other nasty things of which users
are not aware, or if aware, are unable to stop.

IMHO (in my humble opinion), based on everything I have read about it,
Kazaa is NOT something you want to install.

http://unwantedlinks.com/KazaaMedia.htm
http://www.computing.net/security/wwwboard/forum/1931.html
http://helpdesk.gwu.edu/helpdesk/whatsnew/fall02/kazaa.100902.html
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/darnit_2.htm#Kazaa
http://www.scumware.com/press2.html

Regards,

aceresearcher

Hello,

I would like to comment that you should be careful on what you are
sharing. I have heard that the company that puts dummy files to flood
KaZaA and prevent copyright infringment are now going to be targeting
the people who are spreading the software the host. So if I were you I
would not share copyrighted material.

sysadmin-ga

I you want Kazaa without the spyware, you need to find and download
KazaaLite. You can do a search for it and find it pretty easily. Also,
the person who said that they are cracking down on copyrighted
material is correct. In fact, at the University of GA recently a
student was nailed for downloading an Austin Powers movie. So it can
and is being done. This student was not caught by the University, but
by the movie company itself. Just something to think about.

Kazaalite is an illegally modified, pirated version of Kazaa that
infringes on the company's copyright. If Kazaa decides to go after
users of this pirated version, the users could be subject to legal
penalties (think Napster).

I don't think kazaa will be sueing anyone anytime soon, if anything
they are the ones going to be sued.  Or arrested because of all the
kiddy porn that goes accross their networks which is far worse then
napsters mp3s.

Hahahahahahaha

I love it....

Kazaa considering suing someone for breach of copyright...

the irony...

hahahahahahaha