A group of researchers have found a way to tie Skype users to their peer-to-peer networks in order to identify who might be responsible for sharing files on Bit Torrent and other P2P networks.
The research looks at how a Skype user’s IP address can be determined without the user knowing and then linked to files that are being shared through peer-to-peer networks, according to a report by IDG News Service.
The researchers were able to sift out the nodes through which Skype calls are routed and sniff the packets to determine a user’s IP address and then match that to the IP address of people sharing files on peer-to-peer networks.
Then, using information that users provide for Skype’s directory, such as their name, location, and birth date, the researchers were able to get close to identifying the person doing the sharing. They caution, however, that the method can match machines but may not specifically identify the person who was at the machine at any one time.