REPORT WARNS OF VOIP THREATS
A new report from security firm Symantec identifies voice over Internet
protocol (VoIP) technology as potentially fertile ground for a wave of
cybercrime, including a new variation on an old scam. Within the next
18 months, Symantec expects VoIP to become a “significant” channel for
electronic mischief including audio spam, voice phishing, call
hijacking, and caller-ID spoofing. Ollie Whitehouse, technical manager
at Symantec’s research labs, said that although few VoIP attacks have
been reported so far, the company “believes it’s only a matter of time
before attackers target it more intensely.” A technique called
war-dialing, in which computers call many thousands of phone numbers
looking for those that respond with data tones, could also see a
reemergence with VoIP. Hackers could comb VoIP phone numbers and locate
unprotected or poorly protected servers that could then be compromised.