Mark Collier, a leading voice over IP (VoIP) security scientist, author, and blogger, announced the release of his “VoIP Security Trends and Predictions for 2007.” Mr. Collier’s prognostications have been posted to his popular VoIP security blog at: www.voipsecurityblog.com. Mr. Collier is CTO of SecureLogix Corporation, an enterprise telephony management and security company.

“Enterprise VoIP deployments will continue to ramp in 2007, and the frequency and severity of VoIP-specific attacks will increase as well,” stated Collier. “Here are my top VoIP security trends to watch for in 2007":

Telrex releases CallRex Professional 3.5 featuring an advanced distributed-services software architecture. CallRex 3.5 delivers greater scalability, high reliability and additional security, plus new features for multi-site deployments, including enhanced multi-site call recording and monitoring, advanced file transfers, flexible storage and streamlined archiving. CallRex was the first VoIP call-recording solution verified to record encrypted VoIP calls for Cisco CallManager 5.0, and CallRex version 3.5 now provides additional security to ensure that call recording files cannot be secretly altered.

ADT Security Services announces that more than 25 IP-based telephone services providers located throughout the United States have confirmed their phone networks meet the characteristics required by ADT to be a primary method of transmitting alarm signals to ADT's Customer Monitoring Centers.

Together, the companies represent nearly all of the digital phone services markets and provide coverage to nearly every region of the United States.

ADT also announced it is expanding its Voice over Internet Protocol/Digital Phone policy to cover burglar alarm monitoring for business customers following its successful roll out to residential customers in late 2006. ADT is among the first nationwide security services companies to allow business burglar alarm monitoring using qualified VoIP/digital phone service providers as a primary method of alarm signal transmission.

uControl launched its next-generation home security service that provides redundant connectivity and better security at a lower price for the more than 26 million U.S. homeowners who want more from their existing, installed alarm system.

The Austin-based company is the first to offer an enhanced home security service that connects to existing, installed alarm systems and communicates over three redundant connections - broadband, cellular and phone lines. In addition to delivering always-on connectivity and real-time security, uControl enables people to control and monitor their alarm system from the Web or from their cell phones - anywhere, anytime.

eSoft announces that users of its InstaGate Integrated Security Gateways and ThreatWall Content Security Gateways have been protected against the rapidly proliferating "Happy New Year" worm since it began propagating. eSoft customers received signatures designed to repel the newest worm as of December 29, the day it began spreading via emails containing seasonal greetings in the subject line.

According to a CNET.com article about the worm, these messages are sent with the subject line "Happy New Year" and contain an attachment called either postcard.exe or postcard.zip. Once the recipient opens the attachment, malicious software is downloaded from the Internet which infects Windows computers, and like many viruses, the "Happy New Year" worm is not recognized by all virus scanners. Furthermore, once the computer is infected, the worm looks for open mail proxies and begins spamming to infect other computers. On January 2, CRN estimated that the "Happy New Year" worm accounted for 12 percent of all e-mail traffic over the weekend, according to antivirus vendors.

Don't fall prey to these methods of VoIP abuse was an interesting article I found that could potentially help newcomers to VoIP protect themselves from being singled out of the pack.

"Voice over IP (VoIP) technology provides many advantages to companies and individuals over both traditional telephone services and traditional IP communications. But, like other technologies, it also brings with it the potential for abuse. And as more people implement VoIP, we can also expect more frequent exploitation of this potential."

Jangl, announced that its first service -- which enables mutually-anonymous communication on the phone -- is now available to all U.S. consumers.

Separately, Jangl and Match.com announced an agreement under which Jangl enables that site's new matchTalk offering, a new Match.com service that provides its members even more control by allowing them to use their mobile or landline phones to talk with other members without compromising their privacy.

Arcosoft Inc., announced the release of VONaLink TeamRecord. TeamRecord works with any VoIP phone system based on the open SIP standard, such as Asterisk or Vonage, to centrally record all phone calls for a company workgroup.

Call recording benefits a company by allowing business transactions over the phone to be verified and disputes resolved. With traditional phone systems, calls are recorded with either analog equipment or expensive, proprietary products from the phone company. With the latest VoIP systems built on open, standard protocols, calls can be recorded by monitoring network packets.

AccessLine Communications, has increased its intellectual property portfolio through the addition of two new patents for its proprietary telecommunications network. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has granted AccessLine’s applications for patents that cover a cost effective nationwide call processing system and a dynamic security method for VoIP services.

The first, Patent No. 7,068,772, entitled “Economical call processing system and method, such as for providing one-number telecommunication services,” protects one of the methods employed by AccessLine to enhance the overall reliability of its nationwide local number access network.

Rauland-Borg, a leader in communications and media management solutions for K-12 schools, announces the Telecenter VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) based School Intercom and PA System. Leveraging existing data network cabling, Telecenter VoIP brings crucial school safety communications throughout the entire facility; each and every classroom, entrance and hallway.

Recent events remind everyone of the need for additional and better safeguards in the school environment. "Intercoms aren't being installed in some schools today and that greatly concerns us," noted Stacie Dinse, Product Manager for Telecenter VoIP, "and hands-free two-way classroom communication with facility wide paging is a vital tool in emergency situations."

Sipera Systems, the leader in pure security for VoIP, mobile and multimedia communications, announced that Shared Technologies will resell Sipera IPCS products as part of its product portfolio. A recognized industry leader in enterprise converged communications solutions, Shared Technologies has extensive experience in enterprise VoIP deployments, with security as a top priority. By partnering with Sipera, Shared Technologies has enhanced its ability to provide reliable and secure unified communications solutions tailored to its customers' needs.

Covergence, the leader in scaling and securing access to VoIP and other real-time services based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), announced the availability of its secure SIP trunking solution for customers using Avaya’s IP telephony products. Delivered through its Eclipse family of SIP security solutions, Covergence's secure SIP trunking solution enables enterprises using Avaya's SIP Enablement Services (SES) to securely connect their Avaya Communication Manager (CM) platforms to an IP network. With the Covergence solution in place, enterprises can quickly and easily implement secure VoIP throughout their organizations, yielding significant cost savings, while protecting all user information through comprehensive application-level security to defend their VoIP service from attacks and intrusions, even over untrusted networks.

Instant messaging and voice over IP (voip) programs are useful communication tools for both individuals and businesses, but they may also put users at risk for online harassment and cyberstalking. Voip Internet phone service provider voip.com offers important guidance on how to stay safe in the voiposphere.

In 2005, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) responded to 228,407 cyber complaints, including incidents of harassment and stalking. While most people view programs like Skype, ICQ, and Yahoo Messenger as a great way to keep in touch with friends, family or business contacts, others see them as fertile hunting grounds.

iOpus, a provider of cost effective, cutting edge technology utilities that are both powerful and easy to use, announced this week that the iOpus Private Internet Gateway (iPig) will be available as a free beta product to consumers or end users worldwide, beginning today at Digital Life 2006. iPig is downloadable from the company’s website at http://www.iopus.com/ipig/download.

Covergence, the leader in scaling and securing access to VoIP and other real-time services based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), announced that iTalk Broadband Corporation (iTalkBB) will use its Eclipse SIP security solution to deliver the industry’s first secure residential VoIP service. With this new offering, iTalkBB – for the first time – will offer to its residential subscribers fully secure "bullet proof" access to the real-time, multi-modal applications and services that they demand.