Secure communication tools

Development of this resource is in progress. This is an early draft.

Secure group voice communications – Mumble

Instructions:

1. Download Mumble for your platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android are all supported.
2. Run it and run the Certificate wizard, to make sure your calls will be encrypted (you can also import an existing S/MIME certificate, if you’re a geek).
3. Add a new server to connect to: Label can be anything, Address should be bestbits.net, Port doesn’t need to be changed, and Username can be anything. Or try just clicking mumble://bestbits.net/bestbits?version=1.2.3.
4. Join the “Best Bits” channel and start talking.

Secure group text communications – XMPP (Jabber)

XMPP is an open standard that allows for secure text communications when using appropriate software such as Jitsi – just click the lock icon to secure the conversation. You also need an XMPP account on a server of your choice, and Best Bits provides these on request to participants.

Secure group voice and video communications – Jitmeet

Best Bits also operates a Web video conferencing server at jitmeet.bestbits.net, which is browser-based (currently requires Google Chrome). It is based on open standards and the code is open source.

Where you need to verify the security of the connection, it would be better to use a standalone program such as Jitsi. Like Jitmeet, this is based on the open XMPP (Jingle) VoIP and video standard. Best Bits operates a Jitsi videobridge that you can use to relay video between multiple participants. To use this, the participants will need to sign up for an XMPP account on our server, then open the “Tools” menu of the main window of Jitsi and select “Create a video bridge…”.

Insecure group text communications – IRC

What is it?

IRC is the oldest group chat system used on the Internet, and works on low-specification devices. For group communications that don’t need to be secure, IRC may be a suitable tool. Compare also Jabber Multi-User Chat (MUC), which is similar.

How do I use it?

Web interfaces are available, but for a much better experience, consider downloading an IRC
program for your computer, such as mIRC
for Windows, Colloquy
for Mac OS X and XChat
for Linux (many
others are available). Then simply connect that program to
the channel (group) of your choice – if it doesn’t already exist, you will be creating it.

For example, the IGF has an official #igf channel on the chat.freenode.org network.

The Freenode administrators have appointed Jeremy Malcolm
as the administrator of any channel that begins with #igf-
which includes the main #igf channel for discussion in English, as well
as channels for each workshop and each other official UN language.

By default, discussion is unmoderated, but those wishing to
host moderated chat sessions and/or create their own private channels are welcome to contact Jeremy for more details of how to do so.