GV calls encrypted?
Levander:
I realized it's not possible to encrypt phone calls over the public phone networks.
But it would be possible for GV to encrypt calls from our Obihai devices to their Google servers, then unencrypt them on their servers and then send the phone calls out the public network.
Google doesn't do anything like this, do they?
I have a friend going through a divorce and she's paranoid her husband has wire tapped her phone. I put them on Google Voice and an Obihai device awhile back.
giqcass:
Any phone service could be encrypted but it must be done at both ends with special software or devices. Google voice calls are only encrypted on part of the journey. One of the reasons Google says it's upgrading to a new protocol is for additional security. It is highly unlikely anyone is listening in to her calls even without encryption. It is a complicated thing to do unless you have physical access or at least close proximity to the phone victim. It isn't impossible of course. If she really wants to keep her calls safe however switch to a CDMA cell phone service like Sprint or Verizon. CDMA technology seems to be the most secure consumer phone service at the moment. GSM services like AT&T and T-Mobile are less secure in my opinion but anything can be hacked. If she uses a cordless phone it is possible to eavesdrop with special radio equipment from a limited range.
She should make sure her voicemail requires a pin number in order to gain access. That is usually the weakest security point. With very limited knowledge a hacker could easily gain access to any voicemail account they want in just a couple minutes with free software if it is not guarded by a pin number.
In a case like this I would change all of my passwords if I suspected eavesdropping. If she uses a smartphone I would thoroughly check software installed on it. For Android in particular make sure the associated Google account is secure. Software can be remotely installed on those phones if the account has been compromised.
Milton:
It would be difficult for the average Joe to listen to the digital part of the call, meaning the traffic between the Obi and GV. However if you are using the household wiring to connect the analog handset to the Obi, you have a weak spot. It's easy to purchase a modified cassette tape recorder that will connect to the household wiring. The recorder is not activated until the handset is picked up then it starts recording. Since you're recording voice the tape runs at a slow speed so you can record many hours on a single tape. You can also get wireless taps that do the same thing but do not require tape retrieval.
Levander:
Quote from: giqcass on November 08, 2013, 04:06:04 am
Any phone service could be encrypted but it must be done at both ends with special software or devices. Google voice calls are only encrypted on part of the journey.
What part of the journey are GV calls encrypted for? I'm hoping its from the Obihai device to the Google servers.
I was just now responding point by point to the rest of your post giqcass. But it all was just "interesting, I'll discuss it with her and she if she wants to do that... Thanks for the great info!" So I deleted it.
But it really was great info. I really appreciate your post.
Levander:
Quote from: Milton on November 08, 2013, 02:25:24 pm
It would be difficult for the average Joe to listen to the digital part of the call, meaning the traffic between the Obi and GV. However if you are using the household wiring to connect the analog handset to the Obi, you have a weak spot.
Nah, she's plugging her Obihai directly into a cordless expandable phone system. The base on that system uses DECT 6.0 to the expansion satellites. I'm pretty sure DECT 6.0 is encrypted, but I need to look into that next.
But the wire between the Obihai and the base is definitely a weak point. Fortunately it's only a 3 foot wire I can look at and see there's nothing on.
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