The mIRC
SSL feature means you can safely chat online without the information possibly being available to a third party. You can find out more info about SSL by searching
Google. The limits are that you can only use this on an SSL-capable server, and there aren't too many of them (yet). There aren't at this time any on the big networks. Also, the other person needs to be using an SSL-capable server, preferably the same one as you and for added safety, talk in a query window. Talking in a channel means the text is open to anyone who wishes to see it, and unless they are *all* on an SSL-capable server it's fairly pointless.
If you use the DCC Chat feature then it's "Direct Client to Client" and so none of the information goes through the server. This isn't "encrypted" as such.
You could type everything you say with //say $encode(your text here) but then the other person you're talking to needs to use $decode(your text here) to work out what you're saying, so it's not very practical nor is it particularly encrypting.
Really, if you *need* to encrypt something, whatever it is shouldn't be being discussed with mIRC, the only truly safe way is to talk face to face. If you really want to though the best way is to only use SSL servers and talk to people who are also SSL-equipped
Regards,
