BT Wholesale

INDUSTRY NEWS


15 May 2008

VoIP solutions 'pose ID fraud risk'


Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services are now being targetted by hackers, who are able to tap into telephony accounts and steal account information, it has been warned.

Research from VoIP equipment maker Newport Networks revealed usernames and passwords for VoIP phone accounts sell at a higher premium on the black market than stolen credit card information, according to the BBC.

It explained that the information, which is encoded by many services in such a way that it can be easily captured and decrypted, allows hackers to use telephone services without paying.

Dave Gladwin, vice president of products for Newport Networks, told the news service: "It is still at an embryonic stage but as voice adoption increases it becomes more of a problem and needs addressing."

He added that credit card details can be bought online for £6 each, while VoIP account details fetch up to £9, adding that 90 per cent of VoIP carriers do not offer a secure service.

According to Next Generation Security Software however, the problem is not VoIP technology but its implementation, particularly at enterprise level. The company told website Network World that traditional network security logic can make VoIP as secure as any other protocol.

© 2006 Adfero Ltd.

MORE INDUSTRY NEWS

  • UPDATED 16/05/2008

    Innovation 'key to IT'

    With the current prevailing economic uncertainty, technology leaders feel that they are required by .....