Georgia Tech Information Security Center Raises Awareness of VoIP Security Issues27 April 2005
The Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC), a national leader in information security research and education, last week hosted the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Security Summit, which examined security challenges associated with the innovative communications technology that enables consumers and businesses to use an Internet connection to carry their phone service. Telecommunications and security industry leaders from companies throughout the United States, including Avaya (NYSE: AV - News), BellSouth (NYSE: BLS - News), Ciena Corporation (Nasdaq: CIEN - News), Covergence, Internet Security Systems (Nasdaq: ISSX - News) and Telcordia Technologies participated in the Summit.
"VoIP has the potential to provide service providers, vendors and customers alike with major economic and social benefits resulting in significant time and cost savings, increased productivity, and better usage of available resources," said Mustaque Ahamad, director of GTISC. "At the VoIP Security Summit, GTISC has begun to educate consumers and enterprises about the security issues associated with this technology, and promote solutions to these potential challenges."
More than 250 corporate executives, industry leaders and technologists from across the country attended the VoIP Security Summit, which was held in conjunction with the second annual Tom E. Noonan Distinguished Lecture on Information Security. Noonan currently is chairman, CEO and president of Atlanta-based enterprise security company Internet Security Systems. This year's Noonan Lecture, entitled "Brand New Day: Open Networks and Open Society", was delivered by Reed Hundt, the former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and senior adviser to McKinsey & Company.
"Voice over IP presents a complex security challenge that requires change if it is to be addressed," said Hundt. "The starting point of a real solution is bringing together the right people, and at the VoIP Security Summit, GTISC accomplished that. I am very optimistic that GTISC has created the forum and assembled the stakeholders needed to resolve these issues, and I look forward to seeing their blueprint for the future of Voice over IP security."
Following Mr. Hundt's address, representatives from Avaya, BellSouth, Ciena Corporation, Covergence, Internet Security Systems, Telcordia and Georgia Tech participated in a panel about VoIP. Moderated by Richard DeMillo, the John P. Imlay Dean and Distinguished Professor of Computing at Georgia Tech, the panelists debated how security will impact the low service costs currently associated with VoIP, the role of public policy and regulation in leading security efforts, and whether security needs will be addressed before a major incident affects the network.
"As industry leaders in telecommunications and information security, BellSouth and the other organizations represented at the VoIP Security Summit have a responsibility to monitor the challenges of next generation technologies as they develop," said panelist Steve Zimba, director of voice strategy for BellSouth. "Providing our customers with convenient, affordable and safe means of communications is BellSouth's top priority, and we are looking forward to working with GTISC and other industry participants to tackle the security issues posed by Voice over IP."
For more information about the VoIP Security Summit and GTISC, please visit http://www.gtisc.gatech.edu/.
About Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC)
GTISC, a National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Excellence in Information Assurance Education, is an interdisciplinary center involving faculty from Computing, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, and the School of Public Policy.
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Contact:
For GTISC, Atlanta
GCI Group
Jennifer Martin, 404-870-3838
jmartin@gcigroup.com
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Source: Georgia Tech Information Security Center
Source: Business Wire
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