The second thing to consider is the type of VPN that you're using. Using a PPTP VPN for example is probably the worst thing you could possibly think of from a security standpoint, because it can in theory be reverse engineered under the right circumstances. For best results, I would recommend a properly installed OpenVPN session. To enable port forwarding, you will need to ensure that you are using UDP + TAP, however for general security, I would recommend using UDP + TUN. It all depends on what you want to use it for, and if you want to have the potential to share network resources across the VPN.

Recently my flat mate received a warning for using torrent to download some marvel films etc and got a warning  
so that got me wondering  
using the UK Virgin

How to find a torrent peer :
1. traffic monitoring
2. model the mainline dht into a merkel tree and follow the paths
3. sybil attack or rogue node

1 is the most common, be sure to enforce encryption in your client
[ - prefer encrypted peers: yes - ignore unencrypted peers: yes ]
Doing so, you will also help other users not to be detected.

2 costs more, as such, it's not the preferred method
Not feasible for private trackers (such as gtorrent.ru) because the dht is automatically disabled.
It introduces a large overhead into the network, as such it can be easily detected.

3 this are the worst kind of attacks
A sybil attack is a weekness of every p2p system. There's no real method to avoid this, only mitigation techniques.
A rogue node….. Is only able to track a really small number of peers. Its usefulness is basically limited (from the censor point of view).

There have been indie games developers come out and openly say they don't care if their game is pirated, it's exposure for them and they hope maybe if you play it and like it you'll buy it.

VPN VPN VPN.  It's a digital condom for torrents.

I use PrivateInternetAccess.

I agree with the use of a VPN to ensure your privacy and anonymity on the internet, however based on my personal experience, IMHO, I do not recommend the use of PIA. Granted, they do work for some users in some cases, however for my personal preference, there are some things about PIA that I can honestly say are not for me. My really horrific customer service experience that ended with an escalation to my lawyer is one of the reasons that I say that based on my experience, I would not recommend them.

That being said though, I do have a fair bit of experience in working with PrivateVPN, including working with their customer service and I have never been anything but 100% satisfied with them. To be fair, I will acknowledge that there are some things about PrivateVPN that may make it not the right fit for some users, however in my experience, I can say that they are the right VPN for me.

I use PrivateInternetAccess.