Is VoIP security over hyped? [Opinion]

While VoIP is gaining momentum, its "detractors" are quick to point out the security threats associated with it. A search on Google for VoIP Security returned 6,222,000 results, enough to highlight that this is a topic of concern for "some" people. But is it really such a huge issue as it is made out to be or some people are trying to benefit by creating this fear?

A recent report by British security sources highlighted that encrypted voice communication over networks like Skype is extremely hard to crack and decipher, making it a perfect communication tool for the anti-social elements of the society. On the other hand people are talking about the privacy issues highlighting how easy it is to snoop into a voice calls. The truth, however, is somewhere in the middle and is highly dependent on the context.

There are probably two major concerns regarding how VoIP can be abused:

• Interception - or commonly referred to the eavesdropping leading to loss of privacy. This could occur if someone could get access to the packets through which the calls are traveling. Although this is not impossible, it is beyond the means of most people. Further, unless the interceptor gets access to the physical cable, the chances of meaningful interception are negligible. And if somebody gets access to the physical cable, nothing is secure. So this is not a legitimate charge against VoIP, it can happen in any means of communication.
• Impersonation - Since VoIP allows you to prevent your real identity (number) from being revealed, it is easier to abuse in terms of making blank calls, impersonation, etc. Find out more about these here and here. But are these issues, limited to only VoIP? Probably not. Even using traditional communication sources like public phones or prepaid mobile connections you could make such calls. In fact, I would argue it is probably difficult to abuse VoIP for such activities as you leave trails like IP address, VoIP account details, etc., which can be tracked.

The real problem, however, is that VoIP does not fall under the jurisdiction under any single entity. This makes it much harder to control the usage of VoIP. The fact that Skype uses a proprietary codec does not help the matter either. But if national security is at stake, governments and VoIP providers must work together to find an acceptable solution, which should not be an issue at all. Although there is some truth, to me the whole issue appears over hyped. Companies (which I would not name) are creating this fear to make some money around this new communication revolution. This has happened in the past, remember Y2K!!!

In any case, every new technology has its own strengths and weaknesses and users should be cognizant of these before adopting them. For most of our day to day conversations these may not be major issues. But in case these concerns resonate with you, think twice!!!

Technorati Tags: VoIP, Security, Skype, Privacy