RE: BabyCam

["BUTLER, Tony, FM" <tony.butler@xxxxxxx>]

> That's not how IM works.
>
> IM is not a Peer to Peer service. It's Client-Server.

The example I gave was client server too - any old client could open the
user's CD drawer, provided they knew the port no and command syntax!

> My PC picks it up by first opening a two-way channel to Microsoft's
> server farm (logging on), and then listening on that channel.
>
> It's not a "port listener. It only listens on a channel that IT
has
> established.
>
> So on that basis, it doesn't have the problem of "static,
> open port" to
> respond to.

There are lots of problems with IM and firewalls because ISTR, it randomly
chooses a port to connect to.
Thus, you put your PC in a DMZ & it is open to attack, or your have to
open
a wide range of ports.
@ least with the static port solution (and I'm not trying to say 'my
solution is better than yours, because it's not.  They each have merits),
it
is one port and an unknown command syntax, whereas IM is well know and thus
potentially hackable.

Of course, whether someone really wants to hack your system or not is
another matter.  I have reasonable (though for all the hackers out there,
read "VERY VERY STRONG!" :-)) security on my system, but not the
worlds
greatest because I feel microsoft or barclays or <any other big
company>
makes for far more interesting hacking material than my little lan on a
paltry 512k/128k connection, so who would bother?


Oh yeah, and why bother?  All you need is a voice recognition & control
package (MS GameVoice might even do it) on the PC that will recognise
mini-Mark's 'WAAAAHHH' and send the right keystrokes to start IM on the
home
PC and send a 'WAAAHHHH!' message to you at work :-)

There you go - sorted for the price of a mic and some voice software!


Tony


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