Abstract
Voice over IP (VoIP) is gaining ground in both the corporate and consumer
domains. Its headline promise of free, or very cheap, long-distance phone
calls is resonating widely. However, what are the risks of relying on the
Internet for telephony services, and what risks does this further opening up
of data networks to the outside world pose to them? Numerous risks have been
mentioned, but it is hard to find documented successful attacks relating to
VoIP. There are similarities with the wireless telephony and instant messaging
arenas where theoretical threats did eventually become real as deployment
became widespread, while the configuration of VoIP services tends to diminish
the immediate threat.
This report puts the threats in the context of the use of VoIP, particularly
in the enterprise, and describes what could, should, and is being done to
mitigate them.
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