Skype could provide botnet controls

Iria · Jan 26, 2006, 07:42 AM

Internet phone services such as Skype and Vonage could provide a means for cybercriminals to send spam and launch attacks that cripple Web sites, experts have warned.

Moreover, because many voice over Internet protocol applications use proprietary technology and encrypted data traffic that can't easily be monitored, the attackers will be able to go undetected.

"VoIP applications could provide excellent cover for launching denial-of-service attacks," the Communications Research Network said Wednesday. The Communications Research Network is a group of industry experts, academics and policy makers funded by the Cambridge-MIT Institute, a joint venture between Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The group urges VoIP providers to publish their routing specifications or switch to open standards. "These measures would...allow legitimate agencies to track criminal misuse of VoIP," Jon Crowcroft, a professor at Cambridge University in the U.K., said in a statement.
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Read More / Source: News.com

Jan 26, 2006, 07:42 AM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 87	Skype could provide botnet controls Internet phone services such as Skype and Vonage could provide a means for cybercriminals to send spam and launch attacks that cripple Web sites, experts have warned. Moreover, because many voice over Internet protocol applications use proprietary technology and encrypted data traffic that can't easily be monitored, the attackers will be able to go undetected. "VoIP applications could provide excellent cover for launching denial-of-service attacks," the Communications Research Network said Wednesday. The Communications Research Network is a group of industry experts, academics and policy makers funded by the Cambridge-MIT Institute, a joint venture between Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The group urges VoIP providers to publish their routing specifications or switch to open standards. "These measures would...allow legitimate agencies to track criminal misuse of VoIP," Jon Crowcroft, a professor at Cambridge University in the U.K., said in a statement. ____________ Read More / Source: News.com