Hi,
I previously asked about methods to videoconference with my clients,
with minimum risk of eavesdropping by hackers. My professional
association requires this. I'd be liable for loss of my client's
privacy if a hacker eavesdropped and harm was done.
No one seemed to know, so I cancelled that question, after a few days.
This is a related question.
AIM offers encryption, but I think it only encrypts text. Audio and
video messages go unencrypted, and are easily eavesdropped, I
understand. Apparently, the situation is similar for ICQ. There's a
product called Skype that allows encrypted audio and text conferences,
but doesn't offer video. I could try simultaneous un-encrypted video
on another product, simultaneously, but this could be a headache, too.
(Skype also offers encrypted voice over IP telephone calls.) It's a
new product, apparently. I don't know how well it works.
Beyond this, encryption-enabled videoconference products or encryption
utilities that will do the job are apparently just not available.
There is at least one company that offers a free-standing
videoconferencing product, but it's very expensive, and I think it
requires more bandwidth than DSL or cable can offer. This will not
suit my needs. Even if it did, I can't ask every client to buy one.
I've made similar inquiries elsewhere. Several people have suggested
ssh tunneling. I've never used it. I'm a Macintosh user, but I'll want
to videoconference cross platform, at least with Windows XP users.
I've read that an account on an ssh server is necessary, or possibly a
router that supports ssh. I am not connected to a server other than my
home/small business DSL. I presume most of my clients will be in a
similar situation. I do have a 802.11b router connected to my DSL
modem. It might be ssh-capable. Or maybe I could get one, if they are
not expensive.
I'm not sure how many other home/small business users, Windows or
Macintosh, are connected to ssh-capable routers. (I might be
completely misguided on this point.)
According to David Pogue's "missing manual" for OS X, ssh tunneling is
not very user friendly. Recently, an open source GUI for ssh has been
released for the Macintosh OS X. It's called Fugu. I haven't tried it.
I suspect it would be a time-consuming headache for me, and I'm not
sure I could get it to work.
If I can get it to work, but it's a time-consuming headache for my
clients, then it won't be feasible. I haven't been able to find a
similar product for Windows -- one with a user-friendly GUI. There's
something called Putty. I didn't understand it very well.
I'm trying to figure out if it's realistic to expect
not-very-technical-me and my less-technical clients to secure our
videoconferences with ssh tunneling. My clients won't want to
videoconference with me unless doing so is headache-free for them.
I wonder if some commercial services are offering subscriptions to
intermediate ssh servers for a modest fee.
For example, I use a domain name server, so people can find me even
when my dsl IP address changes. This is easy to use and free. Are
there similar services available for non-expert users who want ssh
tunneling security? Are they user friendly?
I've tried a Google search. There's no shortage of hits, but I don't
understand the tech talk. Not enough of it, anyway. So I'll need this
information tranlated into words I understand.
If this kind of techology is too new to be user-friendly to
non-experts, is it likely to become more user friendly within the next
year or so?
Thanks,
Tim |
