Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Easy VoIP wiretaps coming soon

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 14:40:28 -0400

Original URL: 
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/05/fcc_approves_voip_wiretaps/
Easy VoIP wiretaps coming soon
By Thomas C Greene (thomas.greene at theregister.co.uk)
Published Thursday 5th August 2004 14:21 GMT

Virtually everything done via TCP/IP, with the (for now) exception of 
instant messaging, is on its way to becoming wiretap-friendly, thanks to
a 
tentative 5-0 decision by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
on 
Wednesday.

Thanks to relentless lobbying and fear-mongering by law enforcement
outfits 
and the companies that sell surveillance equipment to them, all
broadband 
communications, including VoIP, will have to be modified to allow the
Feds 
to patch in easily and immediately, in order to comply with the 1994 
Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).

VoIP schemes that work only between computers will not be affected. Only 
so-called 'managed' services - those that allow VoIP and PSTN to 
communicate - will have to comply. Instant messaging is also exempt, 
although the Feds lobbied ruthlessly for its inclusion, and will no
doubt 
continue until the government finally gives it to them.

Encrypted VoIP is available, but only through pricey services geared 
towards corporate clients. It is possible that the FCC action might
result 
in the development of inexpensive encryption solutions for more basic
VoIP 
services, perhaps via TLS (Transport Layer Security), though it is 
difficult to imagine extending encryption to calls where VoIP and PSTN
are 
communicating.

Other regulatory disputes involving VoIP were not considered in
Wednesday's 
vote. Additionally, 'push to talk' walkie-talkie mobile phone services
are 
equally affected by the CALEA, the FCC has decided. It does not appear
that 
broadband and VoIP providers will receive assistance with the costs of 
implementing CALEA compliance, unless Congress decides to come to their
rescue.

The public comment period for VoIP CALEA compliance is still open, but
with 
such a strong bias visible in Wednesday's preliminary vote, it is highly 
unlikely that anything can alter the FCC's direction. Final approval is
all 
but certain. ®

Thomas C Greene is the author of Computer Security for the Home and
Small 
Office (http://basicsec.org), a comprehensive guide to system hardening, 
malware protection, online anonymity, encryption, and data hygiene for 
Windows and Linux.

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