[ALUG] Microsoft/Skype: You are trapped

[Howard Frederick]

That is very interesting - and scary.

What about the other chat apps? Anything safe?



On 15 May 2013 16:43, Andreas Tauscher <ta at lonestar-bbs.de> wrote:

> Skype was since long time suspected to read all conversation when using
> Skype Chat. By accepting the new terms and conditions all Skype-users
> anyway granted this right to Microsoft (Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011
> for 8.5 Billion US$).
> Now it is proved they are doing it:
>
> http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Skype-with-care-Microsoft-is-reading-everything-you-write-1862870.html
>
> On phone calls it might be the same.
> Already in 2009 Skype developed a technology named "Legal Intercept"
> to record any Skype call.
>
> http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218002/Microsoft_seeks_patent_for_spy_tech_for_Skype
>
> [...]
> A Microsoft spokesman said the company would not comment.
> [...]
>
> Any more questions? Using Skype is not safe.
> Hidden functionality like this is target No.1 for hackers.
> If officials can intercept any Skype call, it is only a question of time
> criminals can do also.
>
> Using properitary/closed source software is always a security risk. You
> have to trust the supplier that there are no hidden interfaces in the
> software, and bugs exploiting the software are fixed ASAP.
> Additional any information about fixed/unfixed bugs has to be published.
>
> If I compare only the number of bug reports for example released for the
> Linux Kernel and the reports released per month for Windows (What is
> somehow unfair. Linux is the Kernel only, the reports for the GNU Tools
> and a GUI should be added) the picture for me is somehow clear:
> Only Linux Kernel with its outstanding code quality (The Coverty report
> for 2012 you can download after registering at
>
> http://softwareintegrity.coverity.com/register-for-the-coverity-2012-scan-report.html
> )
> is releasing more bug reports than Microsoft for a system including
> Kernel, Toolkit and GUI.....
>
> Andreas
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