First there was Spam, then Spim (unsolicited messages via Instant Messenger) and the next big thing is Spit – messages via Internet Telephony, so says SlashDot about this New Scientist article.
Qovia, based in Frederick, Maryland, have recently filed two patent applications for technology to thwart spit.
Internet telephony involves making phone calls using the internet instead of traditional phone lines. Also known as voice-over IP (VoIP), it is rapidly rising in popularity thanks to the fact that internet connections are becoming faster, and because it is cheap – it avoids the taxes levied on landline calls.
VoIP uses internet protocols to send information, meaning one message can easily be sent to thousands of recipients. Qovia thinks this means the technology is likely to appeal to spammers. The company ran a simulation showing that a computer could be programmed to send 1000 messages per minute over VoIP.
Winn Schwartau, an electronic security consultant for InterPact in Seminole, Florida, warns that our voice-mail boxes could become clogged with salacious and bogus advertising messages, just like our email inboxes are today. And distributed denial-of-service attacks launched by armies of automated Ïspam-botsÓ could tie up targeted customersÌ phone lines constantly, he says.
And you thought that the odd call from a conservatory salesman was bad.
And that’s not the end of the matter. VOIP can also be used to spread viruses. O brave new world.
Russell
PS If you’re wondering why I’ve got an image of a scruffy dog to illustrate this, that is the legendary Spit the Dog. The puppet was the side kick of Bob Carolgees, star of UK kid’s TV back in the 70′s. The basic idea is that Bob would ask spit a question. Then Spit would err….spit. You had to have been there 
The heartless bastard sold the little fella off earlier this year to publicise his new web site which sells candles. Well, I’m not giving you a link you dog seller, you.
—–>Follow us on Twitter too: @russellbuckley and @caaarlo
Recent Comments