How does this work?

[tvhawaii]

This is from a story that's all over the Internet today:
"On Feb. 11, an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees cybersecurity enforcement, signed in to a peer-to-peer file sharing program from his office. After connecting with someone by the name of "Doldrum," the agent browsed through his shared files for videos and images and found images and videos depicting children engaged in sexual acts.
The agent identified the IP address, or unique identification number, of the router, then got the service provider to identify the subscriber.
Investigators could have taken an extra step before going inside the house and used a laptop or other device outside the home to see whether there was an unsecured signal. That alone wouldn't have exonerated the homeowner, but it would have raised the possibility that someone else was responsible for the downloads.
After a search of his devices proved the homeowner's innocence, investigators went back to the peer-to-peer software and looked at logs that showed what other IP addresses Doldrum had connected from. Two were associated with the State University of New York at Buffalo and accessed using a secure token that UB said was assigned to a student living in an apartment adjacent to the homeowner."

I don't know anything about p2p and I wondered what this "peer-to-peer software" was that was mentioned above. Can anyone "browse through his shared files"?
Thanks!

[mountain_rage]

Depends on the program in question. From the sounds of it they were on an IRC or Direct Connect system. In both system the individual sets up their computer as a sort of server, sharing the files they want to share. Its a system I used in the early 90's to get music and games. Its an obscure file sharing system so the individual maybe expected no one was going to watch him on it. It really is not a hard system to track someone over, so it was a stupid move on his part. It is also possible he was only sharing with known companions in a semi private system, and the agent spent time building up a relationship within the community. Either way to make a long story short, chances are anyone could of browsed his files unless it was a semi private system.

[Smith39]

Wow this is a forum which last time I checked is an open place to discuss ideas. Nobody here is an expert on anything, including you, and I have heard some people have had success using it to help them through withdrawals with minimal side effects.

[YWD67]

Wow this is a forum which last time I checked is an open place to discuss ideas. Nobody here is an expert on anything, including you, and I have heard some people have had success using it to help them through withdrawals with minimal side effects.

Ok, you mindless bot, bye, bye!!!! Deal with that withdrawal!

[mfgbypooter]

Nobody here is an expert on anything,

Au contraire,

This forum has been home to many an expert bullshit artist; the ranks of which it now appears you will never be a part of.

Buh-Bye.

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