TransNexus, Inc. has released NexOSS version 3.2 which offers powerful automated Least Cost and Grade of Service Routing features. The new release enables VoIP carriers to quickly and easily build new wholesale VoIP products from hundreds of interconnect partners. By using both rates and Grade of Service parameters, service providers can create different products for VoIP peering, interconnect and SIP trunking which are based on both cost and quality parameters.
NexOSS also simplifies the provisioning of rates from different carriers. NexOSS can accept rate plans quoted in any format -- by NPA-NXX, by LATA and OCN, by LATA and Tiers or any other format. NexOSS uses the Telcordia LERG to normalize complex rate plans into a simple routing table with eight digit routing, or more, to ensure the best routing destination for every call.
Another unique feature of NexOSS is the ability to utilize the cost savings of Extended Local Calling (ELC) areas which are increasing offered by carriers. By optimizing Least Cost Routing for inter-state, intra-state and ELCs offered by multiple carriers, TransNexus customers often reduce their PSTN terminations fees by 25% or more.
Unlike other Least Cost Routing solutions, the TransNexus solution does not export a proprietary routing table to the service provider's softswitch or session border controller. Instead, the service provider's softswitch or session border controller queries the high performance TransNexus route server through a HTTP/XML interface using standard OSP messages. The function of the TransNexus route service is similar to the function of a Service Control Point (SCP) in an SS7 network and enables scaling of very large routing tables that are not limited by softswitch or session border controller hardware.
TransNexus will be exhibiting in Digium-Asterisk World at the VON conference in Boston, on October 30-31, 2007. Visitors to the TransNexus booth at VON can register for a free, in-depth Least Cost Routing analysis of their VoIP network. Let TransNexus identify hidden profits in your VoIP business with this risk free offer.
About TransNexus
TransNexus has been an innovator of commercial and open source VoIP Operations and Billing Support Systems (OSS/BSS) since 1997. Key features include Least Cost Routing, Grade of Service Routing, secure inter-domain peering, traffic analysis and control, multi-currency settlement, hourly profit reports and wholesale billing. New revenues from wholesale services such as VoIP interconnect, VoIP peering and SIP trunking combined with lower cost back-office operations provide service providers with an immediate increase in profits.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
VoIP service vulnerable to hack attacks
Internet phone service from Vonage Holdings is vulnerable to attacks by hackers, who are able to intercept calls to the company's subscribers, a security firm said on Wednesday.
Sipera Systems of Richardson, Texas, said it had informed Vonage of the problem more than a month ago, but the company had not responded to the warning.
Vonage spokesman Charles Sahner declined comment.
REUTERS
Sipera Systems of Richardson, Texas, said it had informed Vonage of the problem more than a month ago, but the company had not responded to the warning.
Vonage spokesman Charles Sahner declined comment.
REUTERS
Nortel Cable VoIP Solution Enables Videotron to Deliver New Videocalling Service
New Soft Phone Services Allow Users Unparalleled Communications Flexibility.
Nortel(1) announces that Videotron, a Quebec communications services operator providing telephony, Internet access, television and wireless services to residential and business customers, is now offering customers the ability to communicate anywhere, over any device with one of the first deployments of a new Soft Phone service that provides videocalling and customizable VoIP call routing functions with a new cable solution.
With its new Soft Phone and Personal Call Manager Services, Videotron is now able to provide customers the capability to make and receive multiple calls from a computer, as well as control and redirect incoming calls. With Personal Call Manager, customers take control of their communications with advanced call routing functions like simultaneously ringing to up to three devices, screening calls based on Caller ID and programmable Do Not Disturb periods. A Nortel product customized to Videotron's requirements, the Soft Phone features videotelephony, that enables users to communicate via a high-quality video link that presents streaming imagery smoothly, without the jerky quality normally associated with Internet video.
"The ability to set up high-quality and reliable videocalling is a powerful new way to communicate that allows people be understood more effectively," said Videotron's Senior Vice President of Engineering, Daniel Proulx. "In addition, being able to centralize communications with the Personal Call Manager is like having your own personal assistant to route your calls to you regardless of which device you are using. This solution allows us to deliver great value to our customers, providing communications of the future to subscribers today."
"As one of the first companies to offer videocalling with assured quality and the unparalleled ability to control how one communicates, Videotron is establishing itself as a pioneer in the communications field. Nortel's solution provides competitive differentiation for Videotron with an array of options for their customers that simplify the complexities of today's communications," said Tom Buttermore, general manager, Cable Solutions, Nortel. "Nortel's cable solutions are designed to be deployed easily, allowing our customers to start offering revenue- generating services quickly. And we back these solutions with a full complement of application and support services from our Global Services portfolio."
In addition to videocalling, Videotron offers customers greater control of their communications. Using the Personal Call Manager, Videotron customers can configure their telephone to meet their communication needs. For example, customers can combine their cell phone, home number, and work phone into a one-number service allowing them to choose when and where calls are received. Also, people can simultaneously direct calls to the device of their choice, be it a Soft Phone, mobile phone, business phone, home phone or voicemail. The service can also be accessed from any device connected to the Internet, offering the customer the ability to initiate calls from anywhere in the world.
Videotron is able to ensure the quality of video and VoIP through implementation of very strong Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities that preserve the integrity of the data stream. Defined by a standard known as PacketCable MultiMedia (PCMM), the QoS protocol is designed specifically to enable cable companies to offer a higher quality multimedia service over their networks. While ordinary traffic traverses the Internet in a best-effort fashion, Nortel and Camiant(2), the industry leading policy-control solution provider, have teamed up to ensure that Videotron's videocalling traffic is guaranteed the bandwidth to provide a high quality customer experience.
The solution is based on Nortel's leading Communications Server 2000, a carrier-class IP Multimedia softswitch with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) capabilities that enable fixed mobile convergence (FMC), advanced web services and Unified Communications (UC). According to Dell' Oro Group, Nortel is the worldwide leader in Carrier VoIP and has been for five years running (2002-2006).The Soft Phone is using the Multimedia PC Client a fully customizable SIP-based software solution.
Nortel also provided engineering, installation, project management and application services from the Nortel Global Services portfolio. This included customization of the Soft Phone client and Personal Call Manager with Videotron's branding, preferred 'look and feel,' and select functionality best suited to the Company's target audience. In addition, Nortel is providing on- going network maintenance services.
Nortel Cable Solutions deliver the infrastructure required for Multi Service Operators to support next-generation services quickly and simply.
About Videotron
Videotron Ltd. (www.videotron.com(2)), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access services, cable telephony and wireless telephone service. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television system and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of September 24, 2007, Videotron was serving 1,614,000 cable television customers in Quebec, including 717,000 illico subscribers. Videotron is the Quebec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 896,000 subscribers to its cable modem service as of September 24, 2007. As of that date, Videotron had activated 38,000 phones on its wireless telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to more than 570,000 Quebec households and organizations.
About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for our customers. Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications. Nortel's technologies are designed to help eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the world. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel. com/news.
Certain statements in this press release may contain words such as "could", "expects", "may", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "targets", "envisions", "seeks" and other similar language and are considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities legislation. These statements are based on Nortel's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating environment, economies and markets in which Nortel operates. These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and the actual outcome may be materially different from those contemplated in forward-looking statements. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see Nortel's Annual Report on Form10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other securities filings with the SEC. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
(1)Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks.
(2)This is a 3rd party link as described in our Web linking practices.
Contact:
Contacts:
Nortel
Pat Cooper
(425) 450-7523
Email: pat.cooper@nortel.com
Website: http://www.nortel.com
Source: Nortel
Nortel(1) announces that Videotron, a Quebec communications services operator providing telephony, Internet access, television and wireless services to residential and business customers, is now offering customers the ability to communicate anywhere, over any device with one of the first deployments of a new Soft Phone service that provides videocalling and customizable VoIP call routing functions with a new cable solution.
With its new Soft Phone and Personal Call Manager Services, Videotron is now able to provide customers the capability to make and receive multiple calls from a computer, as well as control and redirect incoming calls. With Personal Call Manager, customers take control of their communications with advanced call routing functions like simultaneously ringing to up to three devices, screening calls based on Caller ID and programmable Do Not Disturb periods. A Nortel product customized to Videotron's requirements, the Soft Phone features videotelephony, that enables users to communicate via a high-quality video link that presents streaming imagery smoothly, without the jerky quality normally associated with Internet video.
"The ability to set up high-quality and reliable videocalling is a powerful new way to communicate that allows people be understood more effectively," said Videotron's Senior Vice President of Engineering, Daniel Proulx. "In addition, being able to centralize communications with the Personal Call Manager is like having your own personal assistant to route your calls to you regardless of which device you are using. This solution allows us to deliver great value to our customers, providing communications of the future to subscribers today."
"As one of the first companies to offer videocalling with assured quality and the unparalleled ability to control how one communicates, Videotron is establishing itself as a pioneer in the communications field. Nortel's solution provides competitive differentiation for Videotron with an array of options for their customers that simplify the complexities of today's communications," said Tom Buttermore, general manager, Cable Solutions, Nortel. "Nortel's cable solutions are designed to be deployed easily, allowing our customers to start offering revenue- generating services quickly. And we back these solutions with a full complement of application and support services from our Global Services portfolio."
In addition to videocalling, Videotron offers customers greater control of their communications. Using the Personal Call Manager, Videotron customers can configure their telephone to meet their communication needs. For example, customers can combine their cell phone, home number, and work phone into a one-number service allowing them to choose when and where calls are received. Also, people can simultaneously direct calls to the device of their choice, be it a Soft Phone, mobile phone, business phone, home phone or voicemail. The service can also be accessed from any device connected to the Internet, offering the customer the ability to initiate calls from anywhere in the world.
Videotron is able to ensure the quality of video and VoIP through implementation of very strong Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities that preserve the integrity of the data stream. Defined by a standard known as PacketCable MultiMedia (PCMM), the QoS protocol is designed specifically to enable cable companies to offer a higher quality multimedia service over their networks. While ordinary traffic traverses the Internet in a best-effort fashion, Nortel and Camiant(2), the industry leading policy-control solution provider, have teamed up to ensure that Videotron's videocalling traffic is guaranteed the bandwidth to provide a high quality customer experience.
The solution is based on Nortel's leading Communications Server 2000, a carrier-class IP Multimedia softswitch with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) capabilities that enable fixed mobile convergence (FMC), advanced web services and Unified Communications (UC). According to Dell' Oro Group, Nortel is the worldwide leader in Carrier VoIP and has been for five years running (2002-2006).The Soft Phone is using the Multimedia PC Client a fully customizable SIP-based software solution.
Nortel also provided engineering, installation, project management and application services from the Nortel Global Services portfolio. This included customization of the Soft Phone client and Personal Call Manager with Videotron's branding, preferred 'look and feel,' and select functionality best suited to the Company's target audience. In addition, Nortel is providing on- going network maintenance services.
Nortel Cable Solutions deliver the infrastructure required for Multi Service Operators to support next-generation services quickly and simply.
About Videotron
Videotron Ltd. (www.videotron.com(2)), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access services, cable telephony and wireless telephone service. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television system and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of September 24, 2007, Videotron was serving 1,614,000 cable television customers in Quebec, including 717,000 illico subscribers. Videotron is the Quebec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 896,000 subscribers to its cable modem service as of September 24, 2007. As of that date, Videotron had activated 38,000 phones on its wireless telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to more than 570,000 Quebec households and organizations.
About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for our customers. Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications. Nortel's technologies are designed to help eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the world. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel. com/news.
Certain statements in this press release may contain words such as "could", "expects", "may", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "targets", "envisions", "seeks" and other similar language and are considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities legislation. These statements are based on Nortel's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating environment, economies and markets in which Nortel operates. These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and the actual outcome may be materially different from those contemplated in forward-looking statements. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see Nortel's Annual Report on Form10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other securities filings with the SEC. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
(1)Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks.
(2)This is a 3rd party link as described in our Web linking practices.
Contact:
Contacts:
Nortel
Pat Cooper
(425) 450-7523
Email: pat.cooper@nortel.com
Website: http://www.nortel.com
Source: Nortel
Global Crossing Expands VoIP Local Service to 16 Mexico Markets, Nearly 400 More U.S. Cities
Global Crossing , a leading global IP solutions provider, today announced it has once again broadened the scope and reach of its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services for customers around the world by extending its Global Crossing VoIP Local Service(TM) to 16 major metropolitan cities in Mexico and nearly 400 additional cities in the United States. The addition of Mexico brings to 21 the total number of countries worldwide where the service is offered. In the U.S., the company expanded availability of VoIP Local Service to nearly 400 additional cities, including Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Tucson, bringing that total to more than 1,400 nationwide.
Initially, Global Crossing will be serving 16 metropolitan markets in Mexico with VoIP Local Service, including Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puebla, Leon and Monterrey. Global Crossing VoIP Local Service also is available in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. A complementary offer, Global Crossing VoIP Outbound(TM), is available from 29 countries around the world and provides the consistency customers require from global services.
"Mexico is an important growth market for Global Crossing, and customers are clamoring for convenient, feature-rich local VoIP services," said Al DiGabriele, vice president of network applications services. "Global Crossing continues to expand the reach of this critical capability into key markets across the world. We'll continue to use our secure, reliable global IP network to support multinational customers -- and the carriers that serve them -- in need of these essential business applications."
"The geographic expansion of Global Crossing VoIP Local Service in the U.S. and Mexico further demonstrates Global Crossing's strong position as a global VoIP provider to both the carrier and enterprise market," stated Will Stofega, senior analyst at IDC. "We're still at the tip of the iceberg with the uptake of VoIP services in this market of projected double-digit growth."
IDC estimates 63 percent growth from 2005 to 2011 in IP trunking services in the U.S. market, which is indicative of the significant growth opportunities across the various categories of carrier and enterprise VoIP services.
Global Crossing VoIP Local Service is an inbound local service that provides nationwide Direct Inward Dialing/Direct Dial Inward functionality through a single IP interconnection. The service lets customers originate traffic on the public switched telephone network in different countries. Traffic is then converted to VoIP on Global Crossing's network and delivered to the customer's IP network. VoIP Local Service also can eliminate traditional time division multiplexing, private line and foreign exchange service fees by providing a single IP connection to serve multiple markets.
Global Crossing's global, fully meshed MPLS-based network ensures that VoIP calls are delivered with minimal latency, packet loss and jitter -- a consistent and predictable call quality not possible with voice services based on public Internet transport. More than 1.3 billion IP interconnected minutes per quarter are processed on Global Crossing's voice backbone network, or VoIP core. This represents a 73 percent year-over-year increase from the third quarter of 2006 to the same period in 2007. IP interconnected minutes now represent 21 percent of total minutes on Global Crossing's VoIP backbone.
ABOUT GLOBAL CROSSING
Global Crossing (Nasdaq: GLBC - News) provides telecommunications solutions over the world's first integrated global IP-based network. Its core network connects more than 390 cities in more than 30 countries worldwide, and delivers services to more than 600 cities in more than 60 countries and 6 continents around the globe. The company's global sales and support model matches the network footprint and, like the network, delivers a consistent customer experience worldwide.
Global Crossing IP services are global in scale, linking the world's enterprises, governments and carriers with customers, employees and partners worldwide in a secure environment that is ideally suited for IP-based business applications, allowing e-commerce to thrive. The company offers a full range of data, voice and security products to approximately 40 percent of the Fortune 500, as well as 700 carriers, mobile operators and ISPs. Its Professional Services and Managed Solutions provide VoIP, security and network consulting and management services to support its Global Crossing IP VPN service and Global Crossing VoIP services. Global Crossing was the first -- and remains the only -- global communications provider with IPv6 natively deployed in both its private and public backbone networks.
Please visit www.globalcrossing.com or blogs.globalcrossing.com/ for more information about Global Crossing.
Statements in this press release about expected future events and financial results are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, including risks referenced from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Global Crossing undertakes no duty to update information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time.
CONTACT GLOBAL CROSSING:
Press Contacts
Kate Rankin
+ 1 973 937 0417
PR@globalcrossing.com
Fernanda Marques
Latin America
+ 55 11 3957 2042
LatAmPR@globalcrossing.com
Jo Graves
Europe
+ 44 (0) 1256 732378
EuropePR@globalcrossing.com
Analysts/Investors Contact
Suzanne Lipton
+ 1 800 836 0342
glbc@globalcrossing.com
GEN/PR1
Source: Global Crossing
Initially, Global Crossing will be serving 16 metropolitan markets in Mexico with VoIP Local Service, including Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puebla, Leon and Monterrey. Global Crossing VoIP Local Service also is available in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. A complementary offer, Global Crossing VoIP Outbound(TM), is available from 29 countries around the world and provides the consistency customers require from global services.
"Mexico is an important growth market for Global Crossing, and customers are clamoring for convenient, feature-rich local VoIP services," said Al DiGabriele, vice president of network applications services. "Global Crossing continues to expand the reach of this critical capability into key markets across the world. We'll continue to use our secure, reliable global IP network to support multinational customers -- and the carriers that serve them -- in need of these essential business applications."
"The geographic expansion of Global Crossing VoIP Local Service in the U.S. and Mexico further demonstrates Global Crossing's strong position as a global VoIP provider to both the carrier and enterprise market," stated Will Stofega, senior analyst at IDC. "We're still at the tip of the iceberg with the uptake of VoIP services in this market of projected double-digit growth."
IDC estimates 63 percent growth from 2005 to 2011 in IP trunking services in the U.S. market, which is indicative of the significant growth opportunities across the various categories of carrier and enterprise VoIP services.
Global Crossing VoIP Local Service is an inbound local service that provides nationwide Direct Inward Dialing/Direct Dial Inward functionality through a single IP interconnection. The service lets customers originate traffic on the public switched telephone network in different countries. Traffic is then converted to VoIP on Global Crossing's network and delivered to the customer's IP network. VoIP Local Service also can eliminate traditional time division multiplexing, private line and foreign exchange service fees by providing a single IP connection to serve multiple markets.
Global Crossing's global, fully meshed MPLS-based network ensures that VoIP calls are delivered with minimal latency, packet loss and jitter -- a consistent and predictable call quality not possible with voice services based on public Internet transport. More than 1.3 billion IP interconnected minutes per quarter are processed on Global Crossing's voice backbone network, or VoIP core. This represents a 73 percent year-over-year increase from the third quarter of 2006 to the same period in 2007. IP interconnected minutes now represent 21 percent of total minutes on Global Crossing's VoIP backbone.
ABOUT GLOBAL CROSSING
Global Crossing (Nasdaq: GLBC - News) provides telecommunications solutions over the world's first integrated global IP-based network. Its core network connects more than 390 cities in more than 30 countries worldwide, and delivers services to more than 600 cities in more than 60 countries and 6 continents around the globe. The company's global sales and support model matches the network footprint and, like the network, delivers a consistent customer experience worldwide.
Global Crossing IP services are global in scale, linking the world's enterprises, governments and carriers with customers, employees and partners worldwide in a secure environment that is ideally suited for IP-based business applications, allowing e-commerce to thrive. The company offers a full range of data, voice and security products to approximately 40 percent of the Fortune 500, as well as 700 carriers, mobile operators and ISPs. Its Professional Services and Managed Solutions provide VoIP, security and network consulting and management services to support its Global Crossing IP VPN service and Global Crossing VoIP services. Global Crossing was the first -- and remains the only -- global communications provider with IPv6 natively deployed in both its private and public backbone networks.
Please visit www.globalcrossing.com or blogs.globalcrossing.com/ for more information about Global Crossing.
Statements in this press release about expected future events and financial results are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, including risks referenced from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Global Crossing undertakes no duty to update information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time.
CONTACT GLOBAL CROSSING:
Press Contacts
Kate Rankin
+ 1 973 937 0417
PR@globalcrossing.com
Fernanda Marques
Latin America
+ 55 11 3957 2042
LatAmPR@globalcrossing.com
Jo Graves
Europe
+ 44 (0) 1256 732378
EuropePR@globalcrossing.com
Analysts/Investors Contact
Suzanne Lipton
+ 1 800 836 0342
glbc@globalcrossing.com
GEN/PR1
Source: Global Crossing
World Phone intros post-paid VoIP plans in India
World Phone Internet Services Pvt. Ltd, Internet services provider, has launched post-paid VoIP plans for the first time in the country.
Aditya Ahluwalia, chairman, World Phone, said, "World Phone has been the preferred internet telephony services provider for many a corporate customers in India for over five years now. We, once again, intend to make an offer to those companies that are contemplating on cutting down their communications expenses."
These monthly plans are targeted towards Indian companies enabling them to make calls to the USA, UK, Australia and Canada. The plans are available at Rs 995 onwards, at less than 50 paisa per minute.
World Phone's new service will allow consumers to connect to their business contacts in USA, UK, Canada, Australia and many more countries for an affordable fixed monthly subscription on a post-paid format without using a computer.
Subscribers will get a World Phone VoIP adapter with an international virtual number, which if directly
Aditya Ahluwalia, chairman, World Phone, said, "World Phone has been the preferred internet telephony services provider for many a corporate customers in India for over five years now. We, once again, intend to make an offer to those companies that are contemplating on cutting down their communications expenses."
These monthly plans are targeted towards Indian companies enabling them to make calls to the USA, UK, Australia and Canada. The plans are available at Rs 995 onwards, at less than 50 paisa per minute.
World Phone's new service will allow consumers to connect to their business contacts in USA, UK, Canada, Australia and many more countries for an affordable fixed monthly subscription on a post-paid format without using a computer.
Subscribers will get a World Phone VoIP adapter with an international virtual number, which if directly
Book Excerpt: Securing VoIP Networks
In this book excerpt, the authors describe how to intrusion detection can help you handle VoIP issues.
Intrusion Detection and VoIP
Although intrusion detection techniques and products have matured during the last decade, the evolution of Internet multimedia applications, such as VoIP, has introduced a new opportunity for research in intrusion detection. There are two categories of intrusion detection systems (IDSs): signature based and anomaly based. Signature-based IDSs identify malicious activity by inspecting individual packets and matching a pattern to a known signature. Anomaly-based IDSs identify attacks by analyzing aggregate streams of network traffic and performing pattern matching based on predefined traffic heuristics (for example, if activity occurs within normal or abnormal parameters). Both approaches have strengths and weaknesses, but they are effective when used appropriately. One fundamental limitation of current IDS techniques is the orthogonal approach for inspecting and correlating network traffic to identify malicious activity. For example, a typical IDS system is configured to look for specific properties in a protocol (for example, UDP, TCP, HTTP) that match certain rules. In addition, the inspection can be extended to a specific application and analyze the contents of an application message (for example, Web application queries, SQL queries).
VoIP communications use a combination of protocols to relay signaling messages, and they can use dynamically allocated ports. In addition, different routes can be used for signaling or media traffic. These properties introduce challenges to the existing IDS systems. Although they can detect some of the VoIP-related attacks using current techniques, they cannot yet detect attacks such as call or session hijacking, call-flow manipulation, or media manipulation. For example, the Snort IDS uses signature-based techniques to detect malicious activity associated with SIP signaling (see Listing 8.1). These rules include detection for attacks such as SIP signaling flooding, port scanning against SIP ports, SYN floods, and others.
The IDS needs to be able to detect the following:
* DoS; through application resource exhaustion (for example, attacks against the signaling or key management protocols)
* Masquerading of signaling and media messages
* Detection of malformed messages
* Call-flow manipulation attacks (for example, message reordering, insertion, deletion)
* Access control and authorization attacks (for example, authentication replay attacks, application functionality violation attacks, bid-down attacks)
* Fraud
Therefore, in addition to using some of the existing IDS techniques, new methods need to be developed to identify attacks associated with Internet multimedia applications.
Event correlation is one technique that can be used in VoIP to aggregate events from multiple agents that reside on VoIP network elements, including phones, SIP proxies, gateways, and SBCs. Event correlation techniques rely on the characteristics of the network and transport layer, which is insufficient. Instead, correlation techniques need to be developed to incorporate characteristics from the protocols used to support multimedia applications. One research effort that attempts to address this issue is SpaceDive, in which a hierarchical approach to event correlation is used. 4
Another approach is based on protocol state machines. 5 This approach inspects the state transitions associated with the protocol state machines rather than the properties associated with the protocols and network traffic. The protocol state machine is developed from the protocol specification in which state and transition are clearly defined. Because VoIP communications are depended on protocol state transitions, any deviation from normal communication patterns can be flagged and analyzed for malicious activity.
Although these techniques are promising and help establish the direction, additional attention should be given to expedite research and product development to meet the forthcoming demand.
Intrusion Detection and VoIP
Although intrusion detection techniques and products have matured during the last decade, the evolution of Internet multimedia applications, such as VoIP, has introduced a new opportunity for research in intrusion detection. There are two categories of intrusion detection systems (IDSs): signature based and anomaly based. Signature-based IDSs identify malicious activity by inspecting individual packets and matching a pattern to a known signature. Anomaly-based IDSs identify attacks by analyzing aggregate streams of network traffic and performing pattern matching based on predefined traffic heuristics (for example, if activity occurs within normal or abnormal parameters). Both approaches have strengths and weaknesses, but they are effective when used appropriately. One fundamental limitation of current IDS techniques is the orthogonal approach for inspecting and correlating network traffic to identify malicious activity. For example, a typical IDS system is configured to look for specific properties in a protocol (for example, UDP, TCP, HTTP) that match certain rules. In addition, the inspection can be extended to a specific application and analyze the contents of an application message (for example, Web application queries, SQL queries).
VoIP communications use a combination of protocols to relay signaling messages, and they can use dynamically allocated ports. In addition, different routes can be used for signaling or media traffic. These properties introduce challenges to the existing IDS systems. Although they can detect some of the VoIP-related attacks using current techniques, they cannot yet detect attacks such as call or session hijacking, call-flow manipulation, or media manipulation. For example, the Snort IDS uses signature-based techniques to detect malicious activity associated with SIP signaling (see Listing 8.1). These rules include detection for attacks such as SIP signaling flooding, port scanning against SIP ports, SYN floods, and others.
The IDS needs to be able to detect the following:
* DoS; through application resource exhaustion (for example, attacks against the signaling or key management protocols)
* Masquerading of signaling and media messages
* Detection of malformed messages
* Call-flow manipulation attacks (for example, message reordering, insertion, deletion)
* Access control and authorization attacks (for example, authentication replay attacks, application functionality violation attacks, bid-down attacks)
* Fraud
Therefore, in addition to using some of the existing IDS techniques, new methods need to be developed to identify attacks associated with Internet multimedia applications.
Event correlation is one technique that can be used in VoIP to aggregate events from multiple agents that reside on VoIP network elements, including phones, SIP proxies, gateways, and SBCs. Event correlation techniques rely on the characteristics of the network and transport layer, which is insufficient. Instead, correlation techniques need to be developed to incorporate characteristics from the protocols used to support multimedia applications. One research effort that attempts to address this issue is SpaceDive, in which a hierarchical approach to event correlation is used. 4
Another approach is based on protocol state machines. 5 This approach inspects the state transitions associated with the protocol state machines rather than the properties associated with the protocols and network traffic. The protocol state machine is developed from the protocol specification in which state and transition are clearly defined. Because VoIP communications are depended on protocol state transitions, any deviation from normal communication patterns can be flagged and analyzed for malicious activity.
Although these techniques are promising and help establish the direction, additional attention should be given to expedite research and product development to meet the forthcoming demand.
3 UK brings VoIP to cheapskates
3 UK has admitted that it's working on a Skype phone to bring VoIP connectivity to more of its mobile customers.
While the mobile operator would confirm the phone's existence, exact details are scarce, though industry rumours suggest the handset will be launched Monday and available in-store by Thursday.
The phone will be available on a £12 a month contract as well as pay as you go, and will feature a 2MB camera and MP3 player as well as video playback.
3 has been offering Skype for a while, on its X-Series range, but rather cleverly the connection isn't really end-to-end VoIP. The connection from the phone handset to 3 is over normal cellular lines; circuit-switched with guaranteed quality, it then switches to VoIP for the rest of the connection. This doesn't guarantee the quality of a Skype call, but it goes a long way to mitigating the problems of being mobile.
This also means the handset doesn't have to do all the complicated VoIP stuff - and this (we understand) is what 3 is planning to launch next week.
Sources close to the firms say calls to other Skype users will be free, though it's unlikely 3 will allow SkypeOut minutes to be used.
The full details are to be announced Monday, and today neither 3 nor Skype would confirm the finer points of the package.
While the mobile operator would confirm the phone's existence, exact details are scarce, though industry rumours suggest the handset will be launched Monday and available in-store by Thursday.
The phone will be available on a £12 a month contract as well as pay as you go, and will feature a 2MB camera and MP3 player as well as video playback.
3 has been offering Skype for a while, on its X-Series range, but rather cleverly the connection isn't really end-to-end VoIP. The connection from the phone handset to 3 is over normal cellular lines; circuit-switched with guaranteed quality, it then switches to VoIP for the rest of the connection. This doesn't guarantee the quality of a Skype call, but it goes a long way to mitigating the problems of being mobile.
This also means the handset doesn't have to do all the complicated VoIP stuff - and this (we understand) is what 3 is planning to launch next week.
Sources close to the firms say calls to other Skype users will be free, though it's unlikely 3 will allow SkypeOut minutes to be used.
The full details are to be announced Monday, and today neither 3 nor Skype would confirm the finer points of the package.
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