Internet users worldwide should be aware of the dangers of free downloads, including free music downloads, free game downloads, and free software downloads, as many free downloads on the internet are used to transmit viruses and spyware. Beware of any free downloads, even innocent-seeming ones such as screensavers and free game downloads - the ever-growing number of online hackers are spending a lot of time and energy writing viruses and spyware, which they then disguise as free downloads or attach to the free game, free music, or free software downloads. A good rule of thumb: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. 

Many free downloads are designed to include a bundle of viruses, spyware, and adware along with your free music, free game, and free software downloads. This malware can affect your computer's performance by using resources, eating bandwidth, crashing or hijacking your browser, sending your personal information such as passwords and account numbers to third parties, and creating a backdoor in your connection that leaves your system open to invasion.

Hacker attacks aren't the only threat to accompany free downloads. Poorly written and unstable programs can crash your computer and corrupt your hard drive, and some free music downloads, free game downloads, and free software downloads are created to crash your computer and then install spyware during the reboot.

Being too careless about free downloads is one of the most common ways of infecting your computer. The most common problem sites are those that offer free downloads such as screensavers, free software downloads, background images, pornography, free music downloads, free game downloads - basically any free download has a high risk factor.  Cyber criminals have even figured out a way to infect picture downloads. Additionally, any free downloads available by peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are high risk. P2P software is notoriously dangerous, as the nature of them leaves users open to being targeted by a hacker.

Launching an infected free music download, free software download, or free game download can cause many problems, from erasing your hard drive file to spreading a worm, to leaving your computer open to hackers. Many of the P2P applications themselves install spyware that can track your online activity, which they report to third party advertisers. Some signs you may be infected with spyware from free downloads include:

1. The appearance of popup messages
2. Your computer running slowly, crashing, or acting strange
3. A surge of unsolicited sales emails or spam
4. Suspicious activity on any of your accounts, including email, online store, or bank accounts

If your computer seems to be suffering from any of these symptoms, there is a good chance it may be infected. Installing and running legitimate antivirus and anti spyware programs and keeping them updated will help protect your computer from viruses and spyware. And, on the internet, it always pays to research the source of any files or programs you download. In the long run, the benefits of free downloads rarely outweigh the risks.