However, if it's end-to-end, it's still more private than skype. This can work with (compatible) VOIP clients. The ZRTP protocol underlying this protects end-to-end and has better security outlook than most others. I do say, though, why take the chance if there's alternatives to Skype? Some are listed below. The acquisition by Microsoft isn't a huge risk, I don't think.
Also, Skype's network controls the encryption keys so it must be assumed they have access to your calls. The latter had design flaws and working exploits. I also noted in a past review I did that the official, independent crypto review and the description gained by a reverse engineering team differed significantly. That Skype might be backdoored has long been a concern. The other party will obviously need the plugins installed as well but if your serious about improving the security then it should be worth while.Īs a side note, pointed out in the chat Microsoft brags about an independent Skype security review however the paper they brag about is dated 2005 from before Microsoft bought Skype and before they implemented changes to encryption protocol from peer-to-peer key distribution to centralized public key distribution. I came across this guide which is a plugin for pidgin that allows for encrypted chat messaging and Skype functionality, but I don't think it improves the security of the calls made. Some of the alternatives like Jitsi document their security quite well and are open source which lets you check if they're doing anything sus. If your concerned about it because Microsoft is now the owner, there are plenty of other alternatives to Skype which I would suggest as the easiest and cleanest solution (besides, if MS is your competitor, why would you buy their services). There have been several suggestions that skype is indeed backdoored and evesdroppable.