I know, I know...
Tor...
Skype...
What am I talking about?
What is Tor?
Simple description -- Tor gives you a "fake" computer id.
Tor lets you connect over the internet to another computer (a Tor Relay). Tor then uses the other computer's IP address to identify you as you browse websites and other internet resources that you visit.
Tor relays are worldwide, so prepare yourself when Google and Yahoo come up in languages that you don't usually read, or may not know.
According to Tor's "Overview" page (http://www.torproject.org/overview.html.en) -
Summarized (visit the Tor Overview page for the whole non-technical article) --
- Overview
- Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet.
- The variety of people who use Tor is actually part of what makes it so secure. Tor hides you among the other users on the network, so the more populous and diverse the user base for Tor is, the more your anonymity will be protected.
- Why we need Tor
- Using Tor protects you against a common form of Internet surveillance known as "traffic analysis."
- Some attackers spy on multiple parts of the Internet and use sophisticated statistical techniques to track the communications patterns of many different organizations and individuals. Encryption does not help against these attackers, since it only hides the content of Internet traffic, not the headers.
- The solution: a distributed, anonymous network
- Tor helps to reduce the risks of both simple and sophisticated traffic analysis by distributing your transactions over several places on the Internet, so no single point can link you to your destination.
- This section of Tor Overview page contains examples and graphics to explain how Top works.
- For efficiency, the Tor software uses the same circuit for connections that happen within the same ten minutes or so. Later requests are given a new circuit, to keep people from linking your earlier actions to the new ones.
- Hidden services
- Tor also makes it possible for users to hide their locations while offering various kinds of services, such as web publishing or an instant messaging server.
- Staying Anonymous
- Tor can't solve all anonymity problems. It focuses only on protecting the transport of data.
- Also, to protect your anonymity, be smart. Don't provide your name or other revealing information in web forms.
- The future of Tor (as of Wed 2010 Jan 27)
- As Tor's usability increases, it will attract more users, which will increase the possible sources and destinations of each communication, thus increasing security for everyone..
- Ongoing trends in law, policy, and technology threaten anonymity as never before, undermining our ability to speak and read freely online. ... Each new user and relay provides additional diversity, enhancing Tor's ability to put control over your security and privacy back into your hands.
What is Skype?
This is a internet phone/videoconference/messenger/file-sharer. Here is the Skype site.
So, can Skype run on the Tor Network?
I am looking at Skype 4.1.0.136 (apparently one of the current versions, since there are no updates available).
When I look at "Tools", "Options", "Advanced", "Connection", and look in the proxy section in the second section, I see "Automatic Proxy Detection", "HTTPS", and "SOCKS5" listed.
When I look in Tor, I know that I can control both HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols.
So, Skype can run on Tor networks as a HIDDEN SERVICE on localhost HTTPS/443, or SOCKS5/1080... or any other port that you assign as a hidden service for HTTPS or SOCKS5... so long as you set up Tor to use the port correctly, and then tell Skype to use the correct port on localhost.
So... Yes
