NMRC-NET is a project originally started by NMRC to make use of silc servers. NMRC-NET is a network of silc server daemons running together, providing real-time chat.

Silc is Secure Internet Live Conferencing. Much more information is available at www.silcnet.org. The short answer is that it is an IRC-like environment without some of the security short-comings of IRC, and for your average hacker familar with IRC, it is fairly easy to adapt to. It is *not* a graft of security features onto IRC, but a rewrite with security and privacy in mind. It uses such goodies as encryption and key exchange, so you can actually know that the person behind the nick is who they say they are.

You need a client that speaks silc. Check out the defacto client at http://www.silcnet.org/software/users/client/ or here for more info. It is based off of irssi, an excellent IRC client for Unix-based systems. Yes, you can use a GUI, most people use GAIM which the current versions are silc-aware. And if you have Cygwin, you can compile and run the standard silc client on your Windows system.

NMRC-NET started as a project by NMRC, and is currently co-sponsored by NMRC and DC214. The silc servers in the network are run by NMRC and DC214 personnel. We have four servers up and running.

There are two main differences between NMRC-NET and SILC-NET. First off, all of the servers in NMRC-NET have a patch applied (available from http://www.nmrc.org/~thegnome/silcd.diff or here) that limits the ability for regular users to run the /STATS command. The /STATS command shows server and network statistics, including the number of channels formed and the number of users attached. Since you can have invisible channels, we thought it might be a good idea to suppress that information, adding a bit more privacy. Only server operators have the access to run the /STATS command.

The second difference is that NMRC-NET has been set up for the various DC Groups to use. Currently DC214 uses it heavily, and found it to be quite useful and fun. While anyone can connect and form their own secret channels (and how would we even know?), we'd like to get as many DC Groups on the network as possible.

Good for you. You're thinking right. How *do* you know it's safe? First, look over the information on the main silc web site. Second, if we are doing some evil monkey business, it is very possible your silc client won't work right. Third, if we are doing evil monkey business *really well*, well, then you won't know anyway. If you are that worried, set up your own silc server or simply watch what you say, as you should in any public or pseudo-public forum on the Internet. But if you look over the protocol, look at the features of silc in general, and look over how you can lock down your channel, you'll probably be assured that the silc writers have done everything they can to help ensure your communications are encrypted, private, and secure. Or at least as secure as any private conversation between two people or a small group.

That's right. We couldn't even eavesdrop on you if we wanted to.

Yes. We are logging connections to the servers. This is solely for diagnostic purposes. It shows various pieces of information regarding the status of server-to-server communication, as well as client connects and disconnects by IP address, all with timestamps. If this is too much, sorry, go elsewhere. We need to log since it is handy during server problem diagnosis.

No.

Sorry if that is a little curt. Actually the servers we have require very little bandwidth and resources to run, and the servers we have are spread out over high-speed DSL, T1, and super-fast colo links. So we really don't need any extra server nodes at this time. If that changes, we will certainly be hitting up other DC214 and NMRC members first to add servers, then may expand as needed.

As you know, hackers live extravagant rock star lives. In between sessions of snorting coke off of strippers in our limos, we like to chat securely online, planning our next futurist hacks or discussing who is going to play "us" in the eventual movies Hollywood will be making about our exciting lives.

That and we believe every hacker has the right to have a secure chat with a friend without someone listening in.

First, check out www.silcnet.org, as it has some decent resources on there, including faqs on silc in general, the silc client etc. Second, talk to either MadHat [madhat at unspecific.com] or Simple Nomad [thegnome at nmrc.org].