.:Computer Defense:.

So a new service has been announced, a third party addon for GoogleTalk called GTalk2VoIP, What is GTakl2VoIP??? Here's what their FAQ says..

 GTalk2VoIP stands for "GoogleTalk To Voice-over-IP" gateway which offers a number of voice services to GoogleTalk users. The idea is not only to provide cheap outgoing calls from GoogleTalk to ordinary telephone numbers, but make them even cheaper and of a highest possible quality by organizing publicly open voice traffic exchange. Every VoIP service provider can participate in traffic exchange offering call termination service for different destinations. As each service provider gives its own communication rates, or the voice quality differs, it gives a bit freedom of choice for users (GoogleTalk users). Thus, we orginized a service providers ranking system which can be effected by users' votes and some automatically calculating voice quality factors.

They have free services (user to user, voicemail, etc) and they have paid services (connecting in to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). All you have to do to use this service is add a GoogleTalk User -- service@gtalk2voip.com -- and away you go.

I'm kind of curious about this service... obviously everything goes through them.... but who are they... can they be trusted? Where's the security in this... How do we know they aren't recording every conversation... You're actively sending your conversation to them so I doubt there's any expectation of privacy.. Maybe they're looking for online users who have phone sex and they have a second site setup to sell these conversations to the perverts of the world. Perhaps they're collecting credit card numbers (both the ones you use to pay them for their service and also any one you use over the phone to order items. Given all the government conspiracy theories of late regarding the internet, maybe this service was covertly launched by the government to eavesdrop on terrorists... or by the terrorists to circumvent standard wiretapping....

Then again, maybe the service is 100% safe... but I've got my doubts. The service is there for those willing to use it, but personally I'd wait until a bit more information comes out regarding these people and their intentions...

Peace,
HT