If you must open an unknown file, do so inside a virtual machine (like VirtualBox) or a sandbox environment to prevent it from touching your actual operating system.
A Virtual Private Network masks your IP address from other peers in the swarm, protecting your privacy from copyright trolls and hackers.
Ensure your torrent client (like qBittorrent) is "bound" to your VPN interface so that if the VPN drops, the download stops instantly.
