For years enterprises have been trying to control peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies inside their networks, and for good reason. The efficiency with which P2P technology move large files have made P2P networks key enablers of the Internet grey market by acting as the distribution mechanism of choice for pirated movies, music or applications. Aside from P2P being a source for pirated content, they are also a significant enabler of malware as both an infection vector and a command-and-control (C2) channel. These security risks have made controlling P2P traffic a priority for many security teams.
One approach to controlling the grey market usage of P2P would be to provide an alternative means for moving large files such as web-based file transfer applications YouSendIt!, Dropbox or Box.net. These are just a few of many “digital locker” alternatives and their use is becoming so common that one might assume that P2P is on the decline.
