encrypted chat program

I was just wondering how I would go about integrating encryption in a chat program (I'm not talking about chat programs in existence i.e. AIM), I want to build my own using c++ and sockets. I don't have very much experience in coding socket connections and win API, but I still want to know how to go about making the chat program somewhat "secure". Here is basically what I want the program to be capable of doing:

1. a user on one end types his/her message.
2. the user hits the "send" button, which encrypts the cleartext.
3. the cyphertext is transmitted to the chat program on the other end to the listening socket.
4. upon receival of the cyphertext, the program decrypts it to cleartext so the user on the other end can read it (obviously).

It sounds really complicated (atleast to me), and I'm not planning on having it done anytime soon. It is something I want to do in the future, so as of now, I'm learning as much as I can. So if any of you can help or point me in the right direction, I would be grateful.

I am going to try to write a chat application without encryption first, then when I get better, I can integrate some form of encryption to it.

Thanks for your help :D

-Nitro-

hmm i think u should do a research on "Encryption Algorithms"...
i did once.. so i could learn the logic behind VPN's Encryption Protocols.. very interesting really..

It might be a little complicated if you just started on Encryption & SOCKS, but the attached file contains the entire ICQ protocol, encryption, signals and all... I hope its useful. BTW I forgot, I didn't write this but I lost the site I got it from.

Hey Fiend, thanks for that ICQ stuff :D I'm sure it's going to help me on my way to programming an encrypted chat program.

-Nitro-

Not sure if this will help you, but I suppose it could.

Check out SILC (Secure Internet Live Conferencing). http://silcnet.org/

It is IRC-like.

What you want to write sounds like part of CryptoHeaven instant messaging features. Here is the link http://www.CryptoHeaven.com and the download page is here http://www.cryptoheaven.com/Download/Download.htm

We even provide the entire source code (look in the download page), all is written in pure Java. An OO language not difficult to read. I encourage you to look at our communication layer, stuff in the com.CH_co.cryptx package and and com.CH_cl.service.engine package. This will give you plenty of ideas how to implement your own secure comm prog.

Marcin


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