A group of US academics and industry experts has been created to explore security issues surrounding VoIP technology, it was announced today.

The collaboration sees Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) partnering with BellSouth and Internet Security Systems (ISS).

"As communication services migrate to internet-based platforms, it is important that the security and dependability users expect in the current public switched networks be maintained with these new converged technologies," the group stated.

The researchers plan to conduct a security analysis of VoIP protocols and implementations, and explore issues such as VoIP authentication for dealing with voice spam, modelling of VoIP traffic and device behaviour, mobile phone security, and security of VoIP applications running on user agents.

"GTISC feels strongly that VoIP security should not be an afterthought," said Mustaque Ahamad, principal investigator and director of GTISC.

ISS and BellSouth have committed $300,000 to a two-year research programme. The funding will enable GTISC faculty and graduate students to work with ISS and BellSouth technologists to develop and evaluate solutions that address VoIP security.

In return, BellSouth and ISS will have access to the resulting intellectual property.