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March 07, 2008
VoIP Encryption: The Protection Against Eavesdroppers
By Brian Solomon, TMCnet Web Editor
IP voice calls can be prone to eavesdroppers, whether you are using VoIP  for business or for personal purposes. Though VoIP has many positive points on its side, it is still more prone to eavesdropping than wired telephones. This is mainly because VoIP has no wired connection—which would require an eavesdropper to tap into the wires, something that might not be that easy to do without being detected. With VoIP, however, all one needs to listen in on another person’s conversation is to intercept the data that is being transmitted over the network. With the proper tools, anyone can capture and analyze the data – in effect, listen to your conversations.
How do you ensure that no one is listening in on your voice calls? It is simple – by using some sort of encryption method. Encrypting your voice calls is a simple matter and will make it almost impossible for other people to snoop on your conversations.
One popular method of encrypting VoIP calls is Zfone ( News - Alert). This software was developed by Phil Zimmerman and is free to download. It is perfect for VoIP users who do not have much technological know-how. All you need to do is download the program and install it. One drawback of the Zfone is that in order for your call to be secure, the party you are calling has to have it installed as well.
Another method of security is what is calledbuilt-in encryption. This is basically what VoIP clients do. Skype ( News - Alert), for example, has built-in encryption – the user does not have to do anything.
For businesses, Transport Layer Security (TLS) and IP Security (IPSec ) seem to be the best bet. These two methods are quite robust and prevent external unauthorized tampering. The level of security they offer makes them very attractive for business owners. To date, TLS seems to be gaining more ground in terms of popularity, simply due to the fact that it is more efficient and does not take up as much bandwidth as IPSec does.
There are other ways of keeping your voice calls confidential. So take that step and rest assured that no one is eavesdropping on you.
Brian Solomon is a Web Editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To see more of his articles, please visit Brian Solomon’s columnist page.
Don't forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.
Voice over IP (VoIP) | X | | A real-time communications system that converts voice into digital packets containing media and signaling data that travel over networks using Internet Protocol....more |
IP Security (IPSec) | X | | Most tunnel schemes use IP Sec-IP Security. IP Sec is a Layer 3 Network service.
In comparison, SSL-Secure Sockets Layer is a Layer 7 Application service which uses digital certificate to provide a m...more |
Internet Protocol (IP) | X | | IP stands for Internet Protocol, a data-networking protocol developed throughout the 1980s. It is the established standard protocol for transmitting and receiving data
in packets over the Internet. I...more |
(source: http://voipservices.tmcnet.com/feature/articles/22457-voip-encryption-protection-against-eavesdroppers.htm)
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