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Are You Being Lied to About Computer Phones (VoIP)?

Are You Being Lied to About Computer Phones (VoIP)?
By Dee Scrip© All rights reserved.

The majority of computer phone programs, such as those operating on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, are unsafe and provide a conduit for hackers to enter your network or computer, access personal and confidential information, as well as deploy viruses or worms.

Clients of P2P computer phone systems are prime targets and/or launching points for malicious hack attacks for two simple reasons:

1. They provide a harbor for hackers when clients download the service’s file-sharing programs or electronic files
2. They provide a harbor for hackers because the service operates on publicly open and interpretable industry standard protocols and industry standard codec.

A Staff Report submitted by the Government Reform Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives (May 2003), entitled “File-Sharing Programs and Peer-to-Peer Networks – Privacy and Security Risks”, stated that users of these programs have inadvertently made their personal information available to other users. “A search of one P2P network found at least 2,500 Microsoft Money backup files, which stores the users’ personal financial records, available for download.”

Personal information that can be hack attacked include, among others:
1. Tax returns containing you name, address, and social security numbers of not only you, but your spouse and dependents,
2. Financial information such as income and investments,
3. Medical records,
4. Business files such as contracts and personnel evaluations,
5. Attorney-client communications

Spyware/Adware programs are frequently bundled into P2P file-sharing software.

Spyware/Adware programs collect personal information for marketers and provide access to your computer by malicious hackers. In an article located on Vnunet.com entitled “Users Fume at Grokster ‘Drive-by Download’”, these two programs are able to “…

· redirect a user’s homepage to a different website,
· install a new browser toolbar,
· insert entries into the users’ browser bookmark list,
· reinstall itself after uninstallation,
· and ultimately crash a client’s system.”

Sinister Supernodes

Another grave concern for both individuals and businesses is inadvertently authorizing your computer to be used as a supernode just by downloading a service’s P2P software. A supernode occurs when your computer is arbitrarily assigned as a hub.

By using the software for P2P services, your computer’s disk space, bandwidth, and processing power are enlisted to help other customers on the same system operate their software more efficiently because of their own network or firewall constraints. This can be applicable even when your computer is turned off.

Not only can this invasion overload systems or networks with excessive data, disk space, and network bandwidth, unscrupulous hackers can also insert arbitrary code in each supernode’s address space, or even crash all supernodes.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) systems such as Skype, operate by taking bandwidth (information carrying capacity) from customers on their service to assist other customers using their service - analogous to a symbiotic relationship. The tools and authorization to perform these activities are bundled in the software their customers download to access their VoIP service.

The above information is an excerpt taken from an in-depth and exclusive Report entitled “Why Hackers Love Computer Phones – A Shocking Report You Must Read!” by Dee Scrip available only at http://www.whypay4calls.com/gtp/to.pl?l=ART-02

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written by: Dee Scrip

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