Days following its sudden shutdown, KickassTorrents remains offline but as expected mirror or clone sites of the once most popular file-sharing site have emerged, which seemingly suggest KAT is far from dead. However, torrent fans should exercise caution before heading to these so-called KAT replacements.
For one, none of the three KAT mirror or clones sites are officially connected to KickassTorrents alleged owner and operator Artem Vaulin, according to TorrentFreak. At the time of writing, KickassTorrents.website, KAT.am and Kickass.la are all operational but the people behind these websites are thought to have no ties or past history with Vaulin or any of his KAT associates.
KickassTorrents.website, for instance, is passing its operation as a protest move against the U.S.-led crackdown that saw the takedown of KAT and the arrest of Vaulin. According to isoHunt, which put the mirror site together, the chief motives behind its work is to support the KAT owner and to allow KAT users to recover their files.
But the latter task might prove a little difficult as isoHunt has admitted that what it managed to put up in so short a time and with little to work with is but shadow of the expansive KAT operation was. In other words, the KAT.cr mirror is incomplete.
Thankfully, KAT.am and Kickass.la came out and both claimed that they virtually cloned what KAT was prior to the domains seizure and Vaulin's arrest. Users would find that most of the elements they enjoyed about KickassTorrents are now part of the replacement sites.
But jumping too quick on what these sites have to offer may not be wise as there are clear dangers or risks that are likely attached to these operations. One possibility is that contents could be loaded with malwares, BGR said in a report.
Or they could be password traps designed to steal users' personal details that could lead to compromise of one's privacy and online security, Wired reported. Yet what could be more alarming is the likelihood that these KAT mirror or clone sites are "being highly monitored by a governmental authority," the tech site added.
That alone, Wired said, should convince torrent fans that "now's not a great time to use KAT," or for that matter any of its so-called KickassTorrents mirrors and clones.