Secure IRC

http://www.shininglightpro.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html

IRC is the oldest and most popular chat system on the Internet (though recently it's been eclipsed by instant messaging). It's also the least secure, as it's vulnerable to hacking attacks, hijacking, and firewall blocks. If you like to chat from work, it can be easy for your employer to cut off your IRC access. In addition, your IRC chats may be logged and possibly used against you at some time in the future. But fortunately, there are ways around this!

A secure IRC connection uses encryption to ensure that your connection is much, much harder to identify and log. It also protects an IRC server from many outside attacks. What's more, if you use the proper software, you can connect to a secure IRC server on a different port number and avoid an IRC block, of the type used by most business firewalls. Secure IRC is a necessity these days…and it's pretty easy to secure your connection.

Here are some simple steps for securing your IRC connection and connecting to the SubGenius secure IRC chat, using the [mIRC IRC client:

1 Download and install the program OpenSSL at http://www.shininglightpro.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html
2 Once this program has been installed mIRC can usually find the install and use it. Restart mIRC.
To check if mIRC is ready, go to the tools menu and click on OPTIONS, choose 'CONNECT' from the left side menu and the sub menu: 'OPTIONS' there should be a new button called 'SSL' click this and make sure that the box is checked for 'display invalid certificates for approval'…etc.
If you have an SSL button then mIRC is ready to connect using SSL skip to step 5
if not go to step 3
3 Locate two files in your C:/Windows/System folder: libeay32.dll and ssleay32.dll
4 Copy and paste these into your C:/mirc folder
5 Set your options in mirc to connect to port +6697 of irc.taphouse.org (include the + sign at the beginning of the port number)
6 Start mIRC your client and verify that it's using the right port (watch the connect dialog)
7 When your connection asks you to verify a security certificate, click Yes

And that's it!

Jmeeting has also recently moved to a secure IRC connection. Using your secure IRC connection, you can connect to Jmeeting at irc.jmeeting.org, port +8068.