How safe is Skype video? I've read that their encryption is pretty good. What if you are connected on a wi-fi signal that's isn't locked? Would sending Skype video on an open, public wi-fi signal still be pretty safe from prying eyes?
GHackmann
10-05-08, 07:30 PM
Skype claims to use 256-bit AES encryption, which is unbreakable for all intents and purposes, even over a completely insecure Wi-Fi connection. An attacker could probably figure out that you're using Skype, but he wouldn't be able to decode any part of the conversation.
The bad news is that Skype hasn't made their encryption routines available for public inspection, so you sort of have to take their word for it that they're using AES as advertised. And the New York Times recently reported (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/technology/internet/02skype.html) that the Chinese government has been filtering text Skype conversations over one of the Chinese wireless providers, which doesn't make sense if AES is being used like eBay says it is: even the Chinese government doesn't have the ability to crack 256-bit AES. (The most likely explanation is that the wireless carrier is handing out a "special" version of Skype that disables end-to-end encryption, rather than Skype's encryption being fundamentally broken; but keep this in mind before doing anything too sensitive over Skype.)
monkeyboy
10-09-08, 11:58 AM
Ok, so I can tell my girlfriend that it's perfectly safe for her to, um "video chat", when we're in separate cities.
mikehunt
10-10-08, 07:53 PM
only if you rig up a separate stream and give us the link ;)
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