'Revolutionary' technology could allow states to listen in on your Skype conversations

New eavesdropping technology could allow government agencies to 'silently record' conversations on internet chat services like Skype in real time.

Until now, so called voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services have been difficult for police to tap into, because of the way they send information over the web.

The services convert analogue audio signals into digital data packets, which are then sent in a way that is costly and complex for third parties to intercept.

That has led some countries to block VoIP services on security grounds and led the FBI to push for powers to force internet chat providers to build in 'backdoors' that its agents can use to wiretap suspects' conversations.

But now a California businessman has obtained a patent for a 'legal intercept' technology he says 'would allow governments to "silently record" VoIP communications'.
 
Dennis Chang, president of VoIP-PAL, an chat service similar to Skype, claims his system would allow authorities to identify and monitor suspects merely by accessing their username and subscriber data, Slate reports.

According to the patent, they could also be tracked down by billing records that associate names and addresses with usernames.

Such a capability would make not only audio conversations but 'any other data streams such as pure data and/or video or multimedia data' open for interception.

HACKERS FIND AN EASIER WAY TO BREAK INTO YOUR SKYPE ACCOUNT

Skype was last week forced to pull its password reset function after a vulnerability was revealed that allowed hackers to hijack accounts using just their victim's email address.
The security flaw allowed an attacker to reset the password of any Skype users, locking victims out of their own accounts and giving the hacker total control.

To exploit the vulnerability, all attackers needed to know was the email address tied to their victim's Skype account to persuade the Microsoft-owned service to provide a password reset token to given them access.

The hack was first reveal on a Russian-language forum two months ago, The Next Web reported. A reporter for the tech site confirmed that the exploit was possible.
Once alerted to the vulnerability, Skype moved quickly to disable its password reset page and fix the flaw.
Internet users who are paranoid enough to use false subscriber data and services to mask their IP addresses could be able to circumvent the identification.
But Mr Chang's patent would nevertheless restructure the way VoIP data is sent over the internet to make it much easier for authorities to track calls.
VoIP services work by digitising callers' analogue voice signals and transmitting them as packets of digital data to send over the internet directly to recipients.
Because of the fragmentary nature of the data sent, and the vast amounts of information sent alongside it, it is difficult for any eavesdropper to single out a consistent stream to listen in to.
Governments worldwide have been hunting for new ways to hack into their citizens' communications online, with the various online services severely hampering their ability to conduct surveillance.

The expansion of 4G mobile networks, which can carry large amounts of data, have made it easier than ever for people to make cheap VoIP calls almost anywhere and the number of mobile users of such services is expected to reach 410million by 2015.

In response the increasing popularity, the UK, U.S. and other countries have sought to compel VoIP providers to install technology that would allow 'lawful interception' of conversations.
The patent filed by Mr Chang's company marks just one entrant into a battle to capitalise on this race to provide the next generation of online surveillance technology.

Originally filed in 2007, it was followed two years later by a similar patent by Microsoft - owner of Skype - to 'silently copy communication transmitted via the communication session'.

However, the race to wiretap the web has sparked huge interest among users in new platforms allowing encrypted communications, which are designed to shield users from monitoring.
One such application, called Silent Circle, allows users to encrypt a range of different forms of communication from almost any mobile device.

 
/dailymail.co.uk/