Posted on

Skype finally getting end-to-end encryption

Enlarge (credit: Skype)

Since its inception, Skype has been notable for its secretive, proprietary algorithm. It's also long had a complicated relationship with encryption: encryption is used by the Skype protocol, but the service has never been clear exactly how that encryption was implemented or exactly which privacy and security features it offers.

That changes today in a big way. The newest Skype preview now supports the Signal protocol: the end-to-end encrypted protocol already used by WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Allo, and, of course, Signal. Skype Private Conversations will support text, audio calls, and file transfers, with end-to-end encryption that Microsoft, Signal, and, it's believed, law enforcement agencies cannot eavesdrop on.

Presently, Private Conversations are only available in the Insider builds of Skype. Naturally, the Universal Windows Platform version of the app—the preferred version on Windows 10—isn't yet supported. In contrast, the desktop version of the app, along with the iOS, Android, Linux, and macOS clients, all have compatible Insider builds. Private Conversations aren't the default and don't appear to yet support video calling. The latter limitation shouldn't be insurmountable (Signal's own app offers secure video calling). We hope to see the former change once updated clients are stable and widely deployed.

Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Posted on

Skype Log Viewer Download – View Logs on Windows

Skype Log Viewer Download – View Logs on Windows

Skype Log Viewer allows you to download and view the Skype history and log files, on Windows, without actually downloading the Skype client itself.

What does Skype Log Viewer do?

This program allows you to view all of your Skype chat logs and then easily export them as text files.

It correctly organizes them by conversation and makes sure that group conversations do not get jumbled with one on one chats.

Read the rest of Skype Log Viewer Download – View Logs on Windows now! Only available at Darknet.

Posted on

Encrypted or not, Skype communications prove “vital” to NSA surveillance

Last year, Ars documented how Skype encryption posed little challenge to Microsoft abuse filters that scanned instant messages for potentially abusive Web links. Within hours of newly created, never-before-visited URLs being transmitted over the service, the scanners were able to pluck them out of a cryptographically protected stream and test if they were malicious. Now comes word that the National Security Agency is also able to work around Skype crypto—so much so that analysts have deemed the Microsoft-owned service "vital" to a key surveillance regimen known as PRISM.

"PRISM has a new collection capability: Skype stored communications," a previously confidential NSA memo from 2013 declared. "Skype stored communications will contain unique data which is not collected via normal real-time surveillance collection." The data includes buddy lists, credit card information, call records, user account data, and "other material" that is of value to the NSA's special source operations.

The memo, which was leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and released Tuesday by Glenn Greenwald to coincide with the publication of his book No Place to Hide, said the FBI's Electronic Communications Surveillance Unit had approved "over 30 selectors to be sent to Skype for collection."

Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Posted on

Syrian Electronic Army hacks Skype’s Twitter to warn of ongoing surveillance

The Syrian Electronic Army has hacked Skype's Twitter account to accuse the company's owner, Microsoft, of colluding with governments to share user data.

"Don't use Microsoft emails (hotmail, outlook). They are monitoring your accounts and selling the data to the governments," the collective tweeted on New Year's Day, before posting the contact details of the company's outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer. "You can thank Microsoft for monitoring your accounts/emails using this details," it said. Communicating across Skype's Twitter feed, Facebook page, and blog, the group went on to implore the FBI to "stop spying on people."

Skype, having regained control of its account, provided no retort to the accusation, but tweeted, "You may have noticed our social media properties were targeted today. No user info was compromised. We're sorry for the inconvenience."

Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments