VoIP Carries Secret Messages
Did you know that VoIP can be an effective way to communicate secret messages? Security researchers Krzysztof Szczypiorski and Wojciech Mazurczyk at Warsaw University of Technology, Poland are working to explain how steganography, or sending hidden messages, works in VoIP.
Modern steganography makes use of digitally transmitted sound files or images to hide messages. It’s a lot more than simply scrambling the 0’s and the 1’s – steganography doesn’t allow anyone to listen in and decode it. Hidden messages only show up as content in spam messages, subtle changes in the image, or as extra nose in the VoIP conversation, making it very difficult to detect even if software is used.
Mazurczyk and Szczypiorski developed two techniques to send hidden messages through VoIP based on VoIP systems’ packet loss and redundancy. The first method looks at real-time transport protocol and unused fields in real time control protocol to send the messages. The second uses delayed audio packets to hide the messages. An experiment proved that the protocol method is more efficient when it allowed them to send over 1.3 megabits during a 9-minute VoIP call.
Why are security experts trying so hard to decipher secret messages? Apparently it’s so they can intercept messages from suspected terrorists through Skype. German police might already be working on software to intercept Skype calls.
Leave a Comment
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
Recent Comments- Sherryl on ASUS Eee PC 1000H Now in the Philippines
- gene on Speed Test of Globe Broadband, Smart Bro, Smart 3G and PLDT Mydsl
- mookey on My Review of Globelines Broadband Budget Bundles, Smart Bro and PLDT MyDSL
- Rachelle on Speed Test of Globe Broadband, Smart Bro, Smart 3G and PLDT Mydsl
- digitel subscriber on My Review of Globelines Broadband Budget Bundles, Smart Bro and PLDT MyDSL