NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: STEVE TAYLOR AND LARRY HETTICK ON CONVERGENCE 09/22/04 Today's focus: Common sense about VoIP conversation security
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * What to worry about - and what not to - when it comes to VoIP ��security * Links related to Convergence * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Avaya FREE IP TELEPHONY DEPLOYMENT WHITE PAPER No matter what names are on your equipment, Avaya IP Telephony Solutions work with them all. Our secure technology, based on open standards, is layered on top of your existing network. To learn more, get our white paper. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=79180 _______________________________________________________________ DOWNLOAD THE LATEST SPECIAL REPORTS FROM NETWORK WORLD Focused reports on compelling industry topics, Network World Special Reports are available online at Network World Fusion. Network World Special Reports on Mobility, IP Telephony Security, the State of Wireless LANs and more are currently available. Download any or all of our Special Reports at: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=81358 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Common sense about VoIP conversation security By Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick As we've already discussed, the most impressive finding in the son-to-be-released 2004 Webtorials VoIP Report is that security concerns have leapfrogged other factors - even budgetary issues - to become the primary impediment to deployment. As it turns out, concerns about security of the infrastructure outweigh concerns about conversation content. Nevertheless, there is considerable concern about conversations being intercepted as well. We find this to be most curious. Exactly how much security is needed for ordering a pizza - even if you have to give a credit card number? During a recent briefing, a network security vendor told us, "Everybody knows that it's easier to intercept a call with VoIP than with traditional telephony." This is simply not true. Intercepting a call in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) is a piece of cake. You can even buy an analog "butt set" at your friendly local hardware store. Digital signals are in decades-old TDM formats. And encrypting conversations end-to-end takes special equipment. Let's contrast this with VoIP conversations. You have to somehow tap the information in a data format. Then you have to pick it out of a packet stream rather than a TDM format. Then you have to decode which coding algorithm is used. And many programs - even free programs and services like Skype - encrypt conversations. While we can never tell you not to be concerned about security - that's a decision you must make for yourself - we do urge you to consider the following: 1) The least secure portion of a VoIP (or traditional) conversation is the truly "wireless" portion. No, we're not talking about cell phones or WLAN. We're talking about the part of the conversation going through the air from your mouth to the mouthpiece. People get excited about encryption - then they sit on a crowded plane and discuss business deals. 2) It's true that protecting the VoIP infrastructure is a major issue. So make sure you put your efforts where the biggest risk is. Protect the equipment and the integrated applications. Protect the signaling path. 3) Is there possibly too much security available? Does the ease of encrypting VoIP conversation content actually cause more problems than it solves by making it even more difficult for legitimate law enforcement organizations to monitor illegal activities? We would love to hear your experiences and attitudes on this. RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS Butt Set http://www.nwfusion.com/nlconvergence640 Skype http://www.skype.com/help/faq/privacy.html IP video adds oomph to mature technology Network World, 09/20/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/092004ipvideo.html _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick Steve Taylor is President of Distributed Networking Associates and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Webtorials.Com. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials.Com <http://www.webtorials.com/>, the first Web site dedicated exclusively to market studies and technology tutorials in the Broadband Packet areas of Frame Relay, ATM, and IP. He can be reached at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Larry Hettick an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in voice and data. He is currently Vice President for Wireline Solutions at Current Analysis, the leading competitive response solutions company. He can be reached at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Nokia NW Special Report: Preparing an Infrastructure for Mobile Applications. Mobility, properly done, increases productivity and decreases operating costs. So get up to date information about building a mobile infrastructure, dealing with security issues, the latest networking options, connectivity alternatives and operational support enhancements. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=81423 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Archives of the Convergence newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/converg/index.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE ACCESS NW'S IN-DEPTH REPORT ON: BLADE SERVERS Available now is Network World's Technology Insider on: Blade Servers. Find out why early adopters of blade server technology say the benefits aren't science fiction, how blade servers differ by vendor, why blade servers are perfectly suited for today's data centers, review our extensive blade server buyer's guide and more. 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