'Severe' Vulnerabilities Are Possible in VOIP, Official Warns

Dr. Shashi Phoha, director of the Information Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, said she thinks that the growth of VOIP technology brings with it some significant risks that users need to be prepared to address.

"The vulnerabilities are severe," she said, pointing to a list that included ways to spoof or spy that aren't easily available on regular phones.

One of the biggest sources for vulnerabilities is the involvement of personal computers in creating VOIP solutions.

She said that while it may not appear to be that critical, the fact that it can be relatively easy to hack into computers can also expose the phone system to fraud and abuse.

Read the rest of this eWEEK story: "'Severe' Vulnerabilities Are Possible in VOIP, Official Warns"

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in ExtremeTech.