VoIP Warning

Symantec is warning that Net phone systems could prove irresistible to hackers. The company’s Symantec Threat Report identified Voice over IP (VoIP) systems as a technology starting to interest hi-tech criminals.

The report predicted that within 18 months VoIP will start to be used as a "significant" attack vector and could also resurrect some old hacking techniques.

The growing use of VoIP could encourage the emergence of:

• Audio spam that clogs voicemail boxes with spoken adverts


• Voice phishing that tries to con people into handing over confidential details


• Caller-ID spoofing which allows conmen to make it look like they are calling from a legitimate number such as a victim's bank


• Call hi-jacking that re-directs calls to conmen and criminals