Welcome to VoIP technology
Skype , Cell Phone , Zfone
Encryption Software May Halt Wire Tapping
The creator of the most popular e-mail encryption program has a new application for Voice-over-Internet-Protocol phone calls. E-mail encryption creator Phil Zimmermann hopes to bring the same level of privacy to Voice-over-Internet-Protocol phone calls. (Image courtesy of Phil Zimmermann.)
Phil Zimmermann, creator of the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) e-mail encryption software, wants to bring a similar level of security to phone conversations. A decade after U.S. Customs investigated him for allegedly violating export restrictions on cryptographic software (when PGP began to spread worldwide), Zimmermann has released encryption software, called Zfone, that makes it impossible for eavesdroppers to listen in on Voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) phone calls.
VoIP encryption isn't new -- Skype, the most popular VoIP service uses encryption -- but Zimmermann's software issues encryption keys that bypass the servers routing Internet calls and sets up the encryption directly on the voice channel. That added layer of protection means even if someone can access the server that routes a call, there's no way to decrypt the call's contents.
With the ongoing controversy over the National Security Agency's program to collect information about phone calls made by Americans, privacy advocates are becoming increasingly concerned about the government's access to citizen's information. Thus, Zimmermann's software has serious implications, particularly for those involved with national security, since it could pose a technical challenge to the laws that currently allow the government to access information held by phone and VoIP service providers ... more >>>