* Phillip Zakas <pzakas@toucancapital.com> [20010108 21:51]: [..]
BTW, has anyone heard of recent moves to push SS7 phone messaging traffic over the internet in a bid to boost scalability and LNP resolution speeds?
There are already carriers doing SS7 over IP via gateways. Over the public Internet is not a stretch from a technical standpoint but, in practice, I'd find it hard to believe too many LECs or IXCs going this route. Private IP networks, yes already in production even. The public IP network, nobody serious is doing it. Wait, well, if you just mean VoIP there are VoIP companies that are attempting things like this by partnering with regional and local ISPs to place voice gateways. If you're talking governmental moves, there are easier ways. The SS7 network isn't exactly encrypted..
Three effects: it'll work better than the current SS7 network alone; improved eavesdropping on conversations which touch land lines (fyi only phone-to-phone cell phone comms like nextel's two-way-radio feature don't use land lines I believe); decreased need to try to decipher the message while it's in the air (it's harder to intercept over the air transmissions).
How does this improve eavesdropping? SS7 is only signaling. There is no voice payload on the SS7 network. SS7 simply passes signaling information around. Perhaps the knowledge of calling and called party since those digits are passed via SS7 but the converstation is entirely distinct. -jr ---- Josh Richards [JTR38/JR539-ARIN] <jrichard@geekresearch.com/cubicle.net/fix.net/freedom.gen.ca.us> Geek Research LLC - <URL:http://www.geekresearch.com/> IP Network Engineering and Consulting