I'm sceptical to a certain degree here. I have no doubt that tapping Skype can be done, and I suspect it is being done quite easily right now.
But if criminals were going to use a technical solution, surely they'd do better than Skype? I mean, how hard is it to just use a forum somewhere and leave a draft message, unsent, then have someone else log in using the same credentials, to read the draft?
They could cycle between numerous forums, logging in from different internet cafe's, so the source and destination IP addresses will never be live long enough for authorities to track them.
This would have to be something that only a stupid criminal would fall to.
As I said, whats the point?
EU to investigate VoIP tapping
Summary
The European Union's Judicial Co-Operation Unit is looking at how to intercept calls made over services such as Skype, at the urging of Italy's anti-Mafia directorate
Topics
An investigation into the possibility of tapping Internet telephony conversations has been launched by the European Union's Judicial Co-Operation Unit, also known as Eurojust.
Italy is leading the Europe-wide feasibility study, announced on Friday. The Italian government has cited concerns that organized criminals and arms and drug traffickers are using VoIP services such as Skype to avoid traditional, more easily-tapped phone networks.
"The possibility of intercepting internet telephony will be an essential tool in the fight against international organized crime within Europe and beyond," said Carmen Manfredda, Eurojust's acting national member for Italy, in a statement.
"Our aim is not to stop users from taking advantage of internet telephony, but to prevent criminals from using Skype and other systems to plan and organize their unlawful actions. Eurojust will make all possible efforts to coordinate and assist in the cooperation between Member States."
Manfredda and Eurojust's Italian desk are co-ordinating the VoIP-tapping investigations, at the request of Italy's national anti-Mafia directorate. According to Eurojust's statement, the investigation will try to "overcome the technical and judicial obstacles to the interception of internet telephony systems, taking into account the various data protection rules and civil rights."
Skype told ZDNet UK on Friday that has given an extensive explanation of its law enforcement program and capabilities to Eurojust. It rejected press reports that it had refused cooperate with the authorities, and said that it works with law enforcement agencies where legally and technically possible.
"Skype remains interested in working with Eurojust despite the fact that they chose not to contact us before issuing this inaccurate report", a spokesperson for the eBay-owned internet telephony company said.
This article was originally published on ZDNet.co.uk.
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Ok, I wasnt very clear on what I was trying to say.
Stupid criminals will always exist, and will always get caught. hats a given, and I wasnt trying to suggest otherwise.
Let me try again with this: If there is an intelligent criminal, I doubt he would fall for something as simple as this. He will find a way around it. As with many things, its not the technology per se, but the application (and intelligence) that are the real battlegrounds.
Stupid criminals will always exist, and will always get caught. hats a given, and I wasnt trying to suggest otherwise.
Let me try again with this: If there is an intelligent criminal, I doubt he would fall for something as simple as this. He will find a way around it. As with many things, its not the technology per se, but the application (and intelligence) that are the real battlegrounds.
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