This is a short and simple guide on getting your MSN conversations encrypted so that they’re much more secure. Encryption assures you that no one is listening in on your conversations, so if you’re worried about your privacy then this is the way to go.
You are going to need the following things;
- Pidgin Messenger – This is the default messenger for Linux, and a replacement for Windows Live Messenger.
- OTR plugin – OTR (Off The Record) is a plugin for Pidgin messenger which handles your encryption.
Install and configure the Pidgin messenger. It will ask you for your MSN email address and password, which you use to log in. Once it’s set up to your liking, close it down and then install the OTR plugin. After the installer has run, start up your Pidgin Messenger again.
Navigate to Tools > Plugins from the dropdown menu at the top of the window, and scroll down to the OTR plugin. Check the box next to it to enable it, and then hit the “configure plugin” button at the bottom of the window.
Make sure it’s not set up to log OTR conversations, and here you can also force encryption for every chat you open. When you next open up a conversation with someone which you want to be fully encrypted, hit the button which says “Not Private”, then press the “Authenticate Buddy” button. From here, you can choose your method of authentication. I usually manually validate them, but there are other choices too.
After you have done all this, you should find your conversation fully encrypted and private!
