Security in VoIP systems: towards the design and implementation of a reconfigurable test bed for real-time measurements

VoIP systems have to face far tougher security threats than their underlying IP infrastructure. In fact, a security hole in a VoIP infrastructure could bring to a major security failure for the interconnected PSTN network(s), usually regarded as a reliable and secure domain. This is the reason why before connecting a private VoIP network to the carrier infrastructure, a great number of tests have to be carried out, to verify the security robustness of the VoIP network to common attacks. The paper presents the design and implementation of a reconfigurable test bed for real time measurements on VoIP systems, which provides the Telecommunication Engineer with means to plan the necessary changes in the network/VoIP platform, eventually reaching a higher level of security. At the same time, the test bed permits to take into account the right balance between security instruments and the required QoS/QoE for real time operations.