Identity fraud risk for VoIP users
14/05/2008 16:49:07
Hackers are tapping into voice-over IP (VoIP) phone accounts with a view to selling usernames and passwords over the Internet, reports the BBC.
VoIP provider Newport Networks claims stolen consumer information is being used for free telephone use, posing problems for information security business leaders.
Newport Networks vice president of products Dave Gladwin told the BBC a better price could now be gained online for VoIP username and password details (£9) than for stolen credit card details (£6).
He added that this new form of identity theft was at an "embryonic stage", but as the industry expanded it was becoming more of a problem.
Mr Gladwin also claimed that home VoIP users were the most vulnerable, as unlike the majority of businesses, they relied on unsecured networks.
VoIP technology allows voice data to be compressed and then transmitted across a computer network, with need to allocate an entire phone line to each call.
The process is more economical than traditional telephone communication, hence its growing popularity, and the challenge of tackling VoIP identity fraud may create information security business opportunities.
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