We have gone from spam to "spim" (spam over instant messaging) and now we have "spit" (spam over Internet telephony) just around the corner.

Spit has come to the fore because of the current boom in telephoning through the Internet. Spit would be the advertising messages left in your online voice-mail box. I began using Voice over IP (VOIP) while living in Bermuda.

It was cheap and a way to beat the high rates on the Island, but there was often an echo, so I only used it for quick calls to my parents and sisters.

Now VOIP has largely solved the echo problem and is set to become the latest "disruptive" technology, one that will radically change the means by which we communicate.

Five years ago I was praising VOIP as revolutionary, but unfortunately that first excitement did not pan out. Now VOIP is back with a vengeance and I predict that this is the year it will finally take-off.

This is not to say there are no problems. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has warned that those considering switching their telephone systems to VOIP should proceed with caution and carefully consider the security risks.

"Administrators may mistakenly assume that since digitised voice travels in packets, they can simply plug VOIP components into their already-secured networks and remain secure," the NIST said.

"However, the process is not that simple. Implementing common security measures into VOIP, such as firewalls and encryption, can cause poor voice quality and blocked calls if not done carefully and with the proper equipment. Designing, deploying and securely operating a VOIP network is a complex effort that requires careful preparation."

NIST recommends that organisations must first develop appropriate network architecture, including separate voice and data networks, ensure that the organisation can manage and mitigate risks to their information, system operations, and continuity of essential operations when deploying VOIP systems and use and routinely test the security features included in VOIP systems.

The organisation also advises against using "softphone" systems that implement VOIP using a PC with a headset and special software. Go to www.nist.gov for the report. Go to the "News" section.

The problem of security for users is being taken up by the newly formed VOIP Security Alliance (www.voipsa.org), which is a collection of security firms and software and hardware makers who aim to establish common standards.

@EDITRULE:

If you like the dirt on celebrities or political figures then head on over to The Smoking Gun (www.thesmokinggun.com), one of the best examples of online media sites. The site publishes stories along with the original documentation.

It came to the forefront among the regular media for breaking stories and publishing FBI and police records and confidential filings in lawsuits.

So far this year the Smoking Gun has remained ahead of the pack by publishing an in-depth report on the Michael Jackson case, including never-before-released details from hundreds of pages of confidential law enforcement and government reports, grand jury testimony and sealed court records.

This is the fullest media story I have read so far to summarise the case for those who are interested. The site was launched in 1997 by former Village Voice reporters and has since been bought by Court TV.

@EDITRULE:

Studies by researchers at the University of Utah (www.utah.edu) indicate that a 20-year-old talking on a mobile phone while driving has the reaction times of a 70-year-old who is not using a phone.

The fall in reaction times is not affected if the driver is talking hands-free. Any activity requiring a driver to actively be part of a conversation likely will impair driving abilities, the researchers state.

In their article "Cell Phone Users Drive like Old Folks", the researchers conclude that when 18-to-25-year-olds were placed in a driving simulator and talked on a cellular phone, they reacted to brake lights from a car in front of them as slowly as 65- to 74-year-olds who were not using a cell phone.

When talking on the phone, the volunteers were 18 percent slower in braking, had a 12 percent greater following distance and took 17 percent longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked. There is however good news for 70-year-olds who persist in driving while talking. Elderly drivers became even slower to react to brake lights when they spoke on a cell phone, the researchers found.

They added: "But the good news for elderly drivers was that their driving skills did not become as bad as had been predicted by earlier research showing that older people performing multiple tasks suffer additional impairment due to ageing."

Here are the stats for those who think they are somehow immune from crashes.

Twice as many accidents happened to motorists on cell phones compared with motorists who were not talking, the researchers noted and young drivers were in collisions twice as often as elderly drivers.

@EDITRULE:

Contact Ahmed at ahmed.elaminwanadoo.fr. Go to www.SecureBermuda.com for security updates.