Downloading "cracked" software or using torrents for paid applications is one of the most common ways to infect your computer with .

The digital shadow of the internet is a place where many paths cross, but few lead where they promise. This is a story about the hidden costs of a "free" shortcut.

Instead, his computer began to stutter. The cooling fans ramped up to a frantic whine, though he wasn't running any heavy programs. Then, the real nightmare began. His browser windows started opening on their own, navigating to strange, flickering sites. His email sent out hundreds of messages to his entire contact list. Within an hour, a grim notification appeared on his screen: his cloud storage passwords had been changed.