# NickServ support

Automatic authentication with NickServ

KVIrc supports automatic authentication with the NickServ service.
This service is commonly implemented on major IRC networks: basically it is a program that allows users to register their nickname and protect it from being stolen by others.
The NickServ protocol is not standardized (at the time that I'm writing this doc) and automatic authentication is a pure experimental protocol.
Once you get on IRC with a registered nickname , the NickServ will ask you for identification by sending you a NOTICE.
The message will look in a way similar to the following:
<b>You're using a registered nickname: if this is your nick, please type /msg NickServ IDENTIFY password, otherwise please choose another nickname</b>.
The message is often broken in two or three lines of text.
KVIrc will try to recognize such messages bu looking for the words "NickServ" , "identify" and "/msg" in the same line.
As you can see , this is a complete "guess", and might not work on all the netoworks.
Actually, this has been tested on DalNet and Openprojects: I have no idea about other networks.
KVIrc will also match the current server name with the one that you provide in the authentication rule and will pretend that the NickServ mask match the mask that you provide.
This is all the security that KVIrc can provide you against malicious users that want to stole your NickServ password.
On DalNet and Openprojects this machinery is proven to work and have no security flaws (unless the NickServ protocol changes).
On most IRC networks the nick NickServ is even juped, to ensure that nobody will abuse of it.
Please note that many network policies suggest to avoid automatic authentication with NickServ.
I have implemented it because I know that it works on the networks that I'm usually on.
You have to check that this protocol works on your network and then eventually use it at your own risk.

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