karl
Thu Sep 14 07:09:19 CDT 2006
"Dragon58" <Dragon58@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:ACA7099B-2ECD-4486-B09C-B22232BF17D4@microsoft.com...
> Is it technically possible to log into the same msn messenger account from
> two separate computers and be logged on at the same time?
>
> My partner and I use messenger often to communicate, but are worried
> whether
> a third person would be able to log into one of our accounts at the same
> time
> (assuming they knew the password) and eavesdrop our conversations
> undetected.
I know this is possible, sort of, using AIM. AIM checks whether it is
already logged in, WHEN you log in. But if your computer running AIM is
hibernating when someone else logs in, both AIM clients are on at the same
time, and one can see the other half of the conversation. It's not entirely
likely that someone could exploit that, though, because you need to have the
password and the target computer must be hibernating.
The fix to that problem, however, is to use a good password.
MSN and other chat programs send traffic unencrypted as far as I know, so
anyone on either of your local networks can potentially eavesdrop using
sniffer software, or man in the middle session hijacking such as via arp
spoofing, etc. I believe Skype is one alternative software for more secure
encrypted chat, although note that some tools can sometimes eavesdrop on SSL
/ SSH encrypted sessions as well.
--
kind regards,
Karl Levinson, CISSP, CCSA, MCSE [MS MVP]
--------------------------------
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