Russian FSB Can Reportedly Tap Skype Calls 136
An anonymous reader writes "Previous reports of a Microsoft provided backdoor to Skype has been unconfirmed. However, there are now reports that Russian federal security service FSB is able to tap call and locate users. 'FSB and the Internal Affairs Ministry (MVD) have been capable to wiretap and locate Skype users for some years already, reported Vedomosti on Thursday [Google translation of Russian original]. The newspaper is citing experts on information security. "Special services have been capable for several years not only to wiretap but also to locate a Skype user. That's why, for instance, employees of our company are forbidden to discuss business-related topics on Skype," General Director of Group-IB, Ilya Sachkov, says to Vedomosti. "After Microsoft acquired Skype in May 2011, it updated the software with technology allowing legitimate wiretapping," says Maksim Emm, Director of Peak Systems.'"
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Re:Jitsi (Score:3, Informative)
If one uses Jitsi and one uses Skype, why should they settle on the insecure option?
They'll choose Skype because that's the one that the person who isn't a tech expert already has working. Unless you're really keen on doing more free tech support...
Re:Ah, the consequences of closed-source (Score:4, Informative)
Microsoft regularly rolls over for the Chinese government too.
Microsoft has never met a dictator or despot they didn't like.
Microsoft has never met an entity with a boatload of cash they didn't like.
FTFY
Re:Ah, the consequences of closed-source (Score:3, Informative)
Why not? If a protocol was open source, writing backdoors into it would be even easier. I mean, how many people know how to inspect code and remove the parts that are malicious?
You obviously do not understand open source. If a protocol or software gets big enough that a lot of people use it, it will also get a lot of developers looking at it. If a backdoor is written in, eventually someone will find it and report/patch it.
Re:Ah, the consequences of closed-source (Score:4, Informative)
Yeah, MS rolled over for the Russian government six years before they bought Skype. Good future planning on Balmer's part.
The reading comprehension skills here astound me.