ITS Position Statement on the use of Skype

Monash policies on IT use and network access provide, in part, direction to users to satisfy the University's contractual obligations with its Internet Service Provider, AARNet Pty Ltd. AARNet only allows research and educational users and organisations to connect to its network. Monash has a contractually identified set of third party users that are permitted to access AARNet via the University's network.

The standard implementation of Skype on a personal computer is specifically designed to enable that computer to process not only the user's voice calls but also any other Skype users' voice calls from anywhere around the world. Skype is a distributed peer-to-peer Internet application with no central call processing server farms. It relies on parasitic behaviour with Skype users becoming Skype supernodes to undertake a share of call processing and traffic routing for other calls. In particular, fast PCs with broadband Internet access are targeted to become supernodes. The University's Internet access bandwidth is 1 Gbit/s and desktop machines can have up to 1 Gbit/s network connectivity. There is therefore a risk that 'non-university' traffic could utilise bandwidth affecting the University's Internet connection and obviously the faculty would incur the usage charges. Specifically, the University does not want to allow third party Skype users to make use of the University's network for Skype call processing and traffic routing.

Monash has some control and detection in place with NACP (network access control) and security monitoring. Even with these controls there are still potential risks, therefore ITS recommends using a different VoIP service. There are other free VoIP services available that are relatively easy to use and have clients for Windows, OSX and Linux.

However, because there are some cases where there is specific benefit (e.g. between research collaboration groups), ITS is not expressly preventing use of Skype, but does not encourage it. Any user within the University Community should take active steps to prevent their computers from becoming Skype supernodes.

To take precautions using Skype while conforming to University Policy:

1. Only launch the application when you need to use it. If you are expecting an incoming call, coordinate it through other means (e.g. email, instant messages, etc.)
2. Keep your calls to a reasonable length.
3. When the call is finished, turn the application OFF. Closing the Skype application window is not enough. On the Windows OS, the background application must be turned off as well.
• Look for an icon in your system tray (down by the clock)



• To turn it off, right click on this icon and a menu is displayed with choices: Change status, Open Skype or Quit



• Choose Quit.

Tom Maher,
Network Manager

and

Christian Wilson,
IT Security and Risk Manager