[DООM!]

Honestly, a year or two ago I'd understand why you guys still use Skype, it wasn't fucking obvious what was going on back then, but now... Why do you guys choose to use a chat service that is blatantly logged? It's well, well, well known that Microsoft logs and can read absolutely ANYTHING you send over Skype, and Microsoft is also very willing to work with any law enforcement agency who may ask for help. Microsoft isn't like your ISP or your Hosting Provider. Your privacy, they don't give a rats ass about it... If the FBI asks them to jump, they'll ask how high.

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Step 1:
Read this Article about Skype logging your conversations and snooping around.
Then you can read this about how the FBI spied on Kim Dotcom and his associated for YEARS, Skype being a major role in that.

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Step 2:
Hopefully you guys are convinced that Skype is bad news now, can only lead to issues for you... So what do we do? We fucking start using Jabber!

Download Pidgin: http://www.pidgin.im/

Pidgin is a Universal Chat client that allows you to chat over numerous protocols, such as: AIM Bonjour Gadu-Gadu Google Talk Groupwise ICQ IRC MSN MXit MySpaceIM SILC SIMPLE Sametime XMPP Yahoo! Zephyr.
The only one of these we really care about is XMPP, although Pidgin is a great way to combine all your chat clients into one if you'd like.

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Step 3:
Download and Install
Once you have Pidgin downloaded and installed, setting up Jabber is quite simple. When creating a jabber account, you choose your own username, then you use another server's Jabber services to communicate. For example I my full Jabber name could be [email protected]. However, people believe Jabber.org could potentially be a risk to use, so there are other sites you can sign up with, which you'll see in detail below.

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Step 4:
Open your Pidgin Client, on the top go to Accounts > Manage Accounts and click Add.
This is where you create your account. For your username, use whatever you want. For the domain... You can research your own to use, but I personally recommend thesecure.biz. Choose your password, then make sure to click the create this new account on the server box.

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Step 5:
With your account now created, simply go back to Manage Accounts, ensure it's enabled with the password entered, and you'll be able to log in. I do recommend editing your account to add a proxy. Tunnel through a server, use socks5, or just use TOR, it's always best not to connect using your own connection.

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Step 6:
Harden your security. Jabber by its self is good, but Jabber + OTR (Off The Record) is exponentially better. It's simply an addon for Pidgin that boasts the following features:
Encryption - No one else can read your instant messages.
Authentication - You are assured the correspondent is who you think it is.
Deniability - The messages you send do not have digital signatures that are checkable by a third party. Anyone can forge messages after a conversation to make them look like they came from you. However, during a conversation, your correspondent is assured the messages he sees are authentic and unmodified.
Perfect forward secrecy - If you lose control of your private keys, no previous conversation is compromised.
You may obtain OTR here: http://www.cypherpunks.ca/otr/

Once downloaded and installed, simply open Jabber, press CTRL+U, and ensure the OTR plugin is enabled.

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With everything above, you have a pretty rock solid chat client that's not going to get you fucked over in the long run. The transition from Skype to Jabber won't be easy, but if everyone makes an account then encourages their friends to communicate with them there, rather than on Skype, I think a fair amount of you will be saved in the future.

Best of luck - Be smart

Alternatively, view for more info: https://hackforums.net/showthread.php?tid=2965453

[SIM-82498]

I used to be oblivious to the fact that Skype was so vulnerable, so I switched to Jabber.

[adampelletgun]

Thanks for the thread.

Hopefully members abandon Skype.

[Legеnd]

To activate OTR, you must go to tools > plugins and tick the OTR box.
http://prntscr.com/14wt6m
http://prntscr.com/14wtai

[DООM!]

To activate OTR, you must go to tools > plugins and tick the OTR box.
http://prntscr.com/14wt6m
http://prntscr.com/14wtai

Forgot about that, will add it to OP, thanks.

[Dr.Penguin]

Considering I don't do anything illegal on Skype I don't see why this would effect me.

[Michael]

I actually was looking for something like this.
Good helpful thread.

[DООM!]

Considering I don't do anything illegal on Skype I don't see why this would effect me.

Privacy is privacy. If you read the first article, HTTPS links sent via skype were being access by Microsoft IP's, they even tried one of the logins they captured being sent.

+ with the uprise of Skype Jacking, it saves you from the inevitable issues that are sure to come.

[NoodleBot™]

Good article you posted, the one that came out today. Has a lot of good information. I had pidgin but I hate the fact of having to transfer everyone over, some people won't like to use other clients etc.

[Superior1]

I rarely use Skype, plus I'm no blackhat so i don't need to hide what i say from police.
But i do agree Skype is terribly vulnerable, and nobody should be using it because of its vulnerabilities users could be at risk.

[DООM!]

I rarely use Skype, plus I'm no blackhat so i don't need to hide what i say from police.
But i do agree Skype is terribly vulnerable, and nobody should be using it because of its vulnerabilities users could be at risk.

Skype has a ton of nice features, just so many security risks.

If you set up a Teamspeak Server and user Jabber, its basically the same. Secure voice communication through my own servers with secure text communication through jabber.

[Legеnd]

Skype has a ton of nice features, just so many security risks.

If you set up a Teamspeak Server and user Jabber, its basically the same. Secure voice communication through my own servers with secure text communication through jabber.

Not to mention the perk that you can make your own jabber server and have for example [email protected]

[Racr]

Thanks for sharing this, I've started using it and hope I can get my friends to switch over.

[DООM!]

Came across a post by another user earlier today on the same topic, with a simplified guide:

Also, start using an XMPP service instead. Specifically exploit.im as accounts on it are completely un-jackable.

Steps to set it up:

1. Install Pidgin XMPP client
   

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2. Click "Add account"
   

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3. Under protocol select "XMPP"
   

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4. In domain type "exploit.im" and under username and password select the username and password you want to sign up with.
   

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5. Select "Create new account on this server" Spoiler (Click to View)
   

And you're done, simply connect to the server and you'll be registered.

[IIMachavelli]

I created a jabber tutorial like 6-7 months https://hackforums.net/showthread.php?tid=2965453 but everyone just ignored it. I guess Skype was better back then.