With the creation of this new technology, many questions have come to light, for instance, are our VOIP calls being recorded or monitored by third parties, which directly violates our privacy?. The fact is that the probability of being wiretapped by using a VOIP line is almost the same as using a conventional phone. Some have made 'conventional phone communication' sound like they have some sort of secret security features, when in reality this is not true.
This discussion started because VOIP systems transform sound waves into data packets which are then transmitted through the internet to it's destination, so just like a data network, a voice over IP network can be attacked if proper security measures aren't taken. This is especially relevant to business owners who want to establish an internal PBX (Private Business Exchange System) along with VOIP and a data network.
This situation sounds scary to most consumers, but if you are talking to your friends about 'a TV show' or such then there is nothing to worry about. Residential clients should take security measures seriously only if they are handling sensitive information through VOIP lines such as: Banking Transactions, Socials, etc.
In the US regulations which directly preempt 'privacy policies' in exchange for national security have become effective and enforceable. Such is the case of CALEA also known as 'The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994) which grants the government access to 'phone conversations' regardless being landlines or IP managed communications.
This doesn't directly affect a great percentage of users unless they are involved in some sort of illegal activity, of course!. But in order to assure 'privacy' to it's users, VOIP companies are developing security features which will be built into phone sets. Currently, companies such as Skype encrypts all the communication transmitted through the internet between users from start to finish.
Another software technology which is yet to be implemented in phone sets is ZRTP which is an extension to real time transport protocol that works by initiating a cryptographic key agreement between the two parties engaged in a conversation. While this sounds like geeky mombo jombo, all the user needs to do to make sure a third party is not eavesdropping in their conversation is to compare a 'keyword' with the other person running the same software.
These programs have yet to be fully implemented in handsets, so VOIP companies recommended to: use firewalls at all times, constantly update your Operating System, keep your equipment patched, etc. The truth is that internet phone users who do not handle 'sensitive information' through these lines shouldn't worry as much as business owners.
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