With all the security features built into Skype, the popular video and voice chat app is still suffering from a pretty important vulnerability.
For years, Skype would make your IP address visible to others and in new versions, Microsoft did try to fix the problem as they set the app to hide it by default.
Nevertheless, you can never really be too sure, so in this guide, I’m going to show you where you can find this setting inside the Skype app to check if it’s set properly and your iP is kept private.
If you’re wondering why you should be concerned about your IP address being publicly visible you should know that it can be used to launch denial-of-service attacks on you. This would make is so you cannot browse the web like you normally would as well as disconnect you from apps and games which require an Internet connection. And the worst part is, there are actually websites hosting databases with Skype usernames and their IP addresses, so it seems that once this information goes public, it stays that way.
Since Microsoft changed Skype’s default settings and the app hides your IP address by default, the risk has been reduced to a minimum. However, you might want to check if you have the latest version of Skype (we recommend you regularly update the app for the obvious security reasons), and you can get it from here.
How to check if your IP address is hidden in Skype for Windows
Launch Skype and connect to your account.
In the main window, select Tools in the upper menu bar, then click on Options.
To continue, open the Advanced area of the Options window and click on Connection to view the related settings. There, you will find a setting titled “Allow direct connections to your contacts only”. If you check this setting, Skype will keep your IP address hidden from people that are not in your contacts. Click the Save button to apply the changes and you’re done.
With this setting enabled, strangers won’t be able to view your IP address simply by knowing your Skype username. Be aware, though, the application still shows your IP address to your contacts, so be careful who you add to your friends list.
