UM Labs VoIP security company announced

Peter Cox, an expert in VoIP, has announced his new security company, UM Labs. The company is planning to release new hardware-based VoIP security gateways, this year.

Already in a late stage of development is the RC-2100, a gateway box designed to secure SIP-based voice, IM and video connections from roaming or mobile users calling back to HQ. This is scheduled for launch in Q2.

Q3 will mark the launch of UM Lab’s EC-4200, a rack-mounted SIP controller for enterprises which require policy-based security. Also in Q3, the SC-6600 will appear, a SIP controller for service providers.

Cox has funded the start-up himself. The idea seems to have grown out of his VoIP security consultancy, Voipcode.org, which ran seminars on VoIP security threats.

Cox also developed the SIPtap proof-of-concept program which illustrates how easy it is to eavesdrop on VoIP networks.

UM Labs will promote the deployment of its specialist security gateways to secure VoIP applications, rather than using the method of physically separating Voice and Data to prevent external IP connections, or using VLANS to keep them apart.

According to Cox, this ‘isolation’ method reduces the benefits of VoIP and makes Unified Messaging and the integration of all communication applications impossible.