Terrorists attack VoIP: Could it happen here?

There seems to be something in the makeup of security organizations and the people that head them: a pre-disposition to envision worse-case scenarios and warn about them. That way, if worst comes to worst, these security types can say they saw it coming. Shades of Orange Alerts and WMD assertions.

An overabundance of caution or a CYA (Cover Your Anterior) exercise? Well, looks like we're seeing one again.

Now, we have another security executive going off on a "could happen" rant. Quoted in Networking Pipeline, David Endler, head of the new Voice Over IP Security Alliance, seems to be inferring some scary stuff:

Because SIPandH.323 protocols have been shown to havesecurity vulnerabilities, bad folks could cause mass casualties by launching cyberwarfare againstVoIP-enabledpolice, fire andemergency medical servicescall centers.

Is this a likely scenario, or just another case of security folks acting as they are supposed to? I tend toward the latter.

I think there's something else at play here -- perhaps an overarching driver. Put it this way: What we may have here isthe head of a new association, sincerely positing scenarios in an effort to drum up membership.

Agree? Disagree? Post a TalkBack.