Most computer users are familiar with the term MP3, as the popular technology has revolutionised the way we listen to music today. It is used to compress the file size of a song or audio file, making it easily downloadable for anyone with a computer and an internet connection.
These MP3 files have been completely safe and risk free to date, but this could all change in the near future.
Plans for the MP3 technology may be about to change, as programmers and coders have been looking at the possibility of embedding video clips, so while listening to a song you can also watch the film clip.
However, enabling MP3 files to have embedded coding or content could have a drastic effect and introduce a new range of security and virus issues for computer users world-wide.
With the MP3 technology open to embed music video clips, this could quite possibly also be used to embed Java or other programming languages which could easily be used to infect a computer upon execution of the file.
You would only need to download the wrong song and play the file to unleash a virus or other damaging scripting commands on to your machine.
The effects of this could be unbelievably damaging on a global scale.
Think of the number of people who use the internet to download MP3 files, whether it be at home, school, or even at work.
They could be putting their and even others’ computer systems at risk, which could result in untold costs in computer damages.
Current antivirus applications will need to be altered to include a new form of virus detection within MP3 files, and security practices within organisations and schools will need to be raised to a whole new level.
MP3 files are one of the most popular downloaded media type of all available but, if the new format goes ahead, MP3 fans could be in for a rocky ride ahead.
MP3s don’t look to be changing any time soon, but keep an eye and an ear out for any changes and be wary as the effects of just playing a file could be quite catastrophic to your computer.