This week, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that it has identified ‘widespread data breaches’ on peer-to-peer file sharing networks. The FTC notified nearly 100 organizations, including large and small businesses, schools, and local governments, that the sensitive personal information of employees and customers was available on P2P file sharing networks. The data included health-related details, financial records, and drivers’ license and social security numbers – information that could be used to commit identity theft or fraud.

The FTC has released new educational material in an effort to help businesses manage the security risks of file-sharing software. Consumer security information with quick facts on file-sharing is also available on OnGuardOnline.gov.

In related news, new legislation - the P2P Cyber Protection and Informed User Act - that would require software developers to clearly inform computer users when their files are made available to others online was introduced in the U.S. Senate yesterday.