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Evaluation of users’ perspective on VoIP’s security vulnerabilities

This thesis investigates VoIP users' awareness of security vulnerabilities and their attitudes towards these risks. Conducted as a positivist quantitative research study through an anonymous online questionnaire, the survey gathered insights from 107 participants across 18 countries. The findings reveal that most users view traditional telephony as more secure than VoIP. Concerns about lower costs overshadow security issues, with participants expressing varying degrees of privacy concerns during international calls. Reliability and the urgency of cost over security are key themes.

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Evaluation of users’ perspective on VoIP’s security vulnerabilities

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  1. Evaluation of users’ perspective on VoIP’s security vulnerabilities Alireza Heravi Supervisors: Professor Jill Slay Dr Sameera Mubarak

  2. Research Questions • To what extend are VoIP users aware of VoIP security vulnerabilities and what is their attitude towards these issues?

  3. Research Methodology • This thesis is a positivist quantitative research (Survey) • For quantitative data collection purpose, an anonymous on-line questionnaire was designed. • The questionnaire is designed by using Google Docs. • The answers to the questions are stored at Google’s server in Google Docs spreadsheet format and it is accessible by logging in to the corresponding Gmail account. • For analyzing the collected data SPSS (PASW Statistics 17.0 (release 17.0.2)) and Microsoft Excel 2007 were used.

  4. The Questionnaire • The questionnaire contains: • 20 questions • 18 closed questions (2 five-point scale question) • 2 open questions

  5. The First Transmitted Voice “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you” Sent by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 (Flood 1976; Brittain 2005) http://images.livescience.com/images/gm_Alexander_Graham_Bell_03_10.jpg

  6. What is VoIP? • Voice over Internet Protocol • Transmits voice conversations over IP based networks like internet • Converges voice and data • Skype, oovoo, Google Talk, MSN … • Key drivers: low cost and flexibility • Location independence • Integration with other services like file exchanges

  7. How VoIP works? On the sender side: • VoIP system converts voice into digital signal • Split it into packets • Transport it over IP networks On the receiving side • Digitized voice data is reassembled and decoded

  8. Source: www.baacs.com/VoIP.html

  9. VoIP Implementation Figure 1 (Phone-to-Phone) Figure 2 (PC-to-PC)

  10. VoIP Implementation (cont.) Figure 3 PC-to-Phone/phone-to-PC

  11. VoIP Implementation (cont.)

  12. VoIP Security • VoIP uses IP networks and therefore inherits its vulnerabilities. • IP Networks have various potential vulnerable points • Adding voice traffic to IP networks complicates security issues and introduces a range of vulnerabilities. • A VoIP system may face either an exclusive attack or an attack to the underlying IP network. • For having a secure VoIP system, both the IP network and the VoIP specific security issues must be addressed. • Network components including switches, routers, and firewalls, must also be VoIP aware to be able to provide specific VoIP security features.

  13. Results and Findings Sample population:Students of the School of CIS of the UniSA Population: about 300 Number of participants: 107 from 18 different countries

  14. Results and Findings (cont.) - Most of the participants believe that traditional telephony (land line/mobile) is more secure than VoIP - Participants are most concerned about lower cost and least concerned about security. The most concerned feature when making international calls Graph -2 Graph -1

  15. Results and Findings (cont.) • The majority of the respondents who make international call by either VoIP or landline/mobile are concerned about privacy (eavesdropping). • The respondents that prefer computer over land line/mobile for international calls are less concerned about VoIP privacy and vice versa • No relationship was found between nationality and awareness/attitude towards security/privacy issues in VoIP.

  16. Summary of participants’ opinion about security/privacy in VoIP • Since VoIP providers offer cheap services, it is not expected to have best facilities and privacy. • Security/privacy is not a major concern due to the fact that the content of the conversations are not important (calling family, etc …). • Do not talk about anything sensitive/important using VoIP/landline/mobile if you do not want it found out. • Conversations are monitored and analyzed by government to protect the nation.

  17. Thank You

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