Voice Over IP: Privacy and Forensic Implications

Introduction

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, a growing technology, is set to radically change the way voice data is communicated and thus to revolutionise the Australian and International Telecommunications industry. With the tremendous growth in popularity and bandwidth of the Internet, technology has emerged that allows phone calls to be routed over Internet infrastructure rather than the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) infrastructure. It is currently estimated that there will be more than 24 million VoIP users in the USA by the end of this year, 2008.

This article reports on research designed to provide significant input into the current concern regarding the security and privacy implications of widespread adoption of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for personal and business telecommunications. The aims of the project were to:

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  Examine the potential threat to the privacy of telecommunications users’ by the capture and reassembly of VoIP packets from a computer or network after a VoIP conversation has taken place and

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  Evaluate the potential use of such reassembled packets in forensic computing investigations.

This work is intended to inform policymakers on the legislative issues surrounding privacy, telecommunications interceptions and electronic evidence preservation. It also advises, technically, as to whether this technology should be used in restricted environments, and will drive future technological security control developments.