Category Archives: Conferences

If you are attending Black Hat this week, let us know…

If any of you are heading out to Las Vegas for the 2006 Black Hat Briefing tomorrow and Thursday, please do drop us a note as we’d love to connect with listeners. Jonathan and I will both be out there in part because there is a “voice security” section to the conference schedule but also because with David Endler attending (and speaking), it is a good chance to catch up on VOIPSA issues.

Blue Box #30: Voip security in mainstream media, Martyn Davies report on Third Annual VoIP Security Workshop in Berlin, much more…

Synopsis: VoIP security in the mainstream news, Martyn Davies’ report on the 3rd Annual VoIP Security Workshop in Berlin, listener comments and much, much more…


Welcome to Blue Box: The VoIP Security Podcast show #30, a 57-minute podcast  from Dan York and Jonathan Zar with news and commentary about the world of VoIP security. This show includes a 24-minute report from Martyn Davies on the 3rd Annual VoIP Security Workshop in Berlin.  Martyn’s report also includes interviews with workshop participants.

Download the show here (MP3, 65MB) or subscribe to the RSS feed to download the show automatically.

You may also listen to this podcast right now:

Comments, suggestions and feedback are welcome either as replies to this post  or via e-mail to blueboxpodcast@gmail.com.  Audio comments sent as attached MP3 files are definitely welcome and will be played in future shows.  You may also call the listener comment line at +1-206-338-6654 to leave a comment there.

NOTE: I would welcome any comments about the audio quality of this MP3 file as compared to our other shows would be appreciated – I am trying out a new audio encoder. Thanks.

Show Content:

Comments, suggestions and feedback are welcome either as replies to this post  or via e-mail to blueboxpodcast@gmail.com.  Audio comments sent as attached MP3 files are definitely welcome and will be played in future shows.  You may also call the listener comment line at +1-206-338-6654 to leave a comment there.

Thank you for listening and please do let us know what you think of the show.

Blue Box Podcast Spring VON #3: Interview with Jim Gallagher of Codenomicon

Synopsis: Interview with Jim Gallagher of Codenomicon, provider of VoIP security test tools, from the floor of Spring VON 2006.


Welcome to a special edition of Blue Box: The VoIP Security Podcast from the floor of the Spring 2006 VON conference in San Jose, CA. In this 15 minute podcast, host Dan York interviews Jim Gallagher of Codenomicon about their company, their test tools and how they can help companies developing VoIP products.

Download the show here (MP3, 14MB) or subscribe to the RSS feed to download the show automatically.

You may also listen to this podcast right now:

This is actually the only recording I will be bringing you from the Spring VON exhibitors.  However, Victor Garza over at Infoworld’s "Zero Day Security" recorded a number of podcasts from VON that listeners to this show may also find of interest.

Comments, suggestions and feedback are welcome either as replies to this post  or via e-mail to blueboxpodcast@gmail.com.  Audio comments sent as attached MP3 files are definitely welcome and will be played in future shows.  You may also call the listener comment line at +1-206-338-6654 to leave a comment there.

Blue Box Podcast Spring VON #2: Joint production with Mikey from Pulvermedia Podcasting Network

Synopsis: Joint interview with Mikey from the Pulvermedia Podcasting Network where I talk about the security presentations that occurred here at VON. The interview was recorded at the PPN booth on the exhibit floor of the Spring VON show in San Jose, California, on March 16, 2006.


Welcome a special edition of Blue Box: The VoIP Security Podcast from the floor of the Spring 2006 VON conference in San Jose, CA.  This was a joint interview between myself and Mikey from the Pulvermedia Podcasting Network where I first talked about Blue Box and then discussed the security presentations that were here at the show, spoke a bit about SPIT and then relayed other thoughts about the show this year.   Mikey also talked a bit about what he and his colleague Laura have been doing there at their booth talking to people about podcasting and interviewing various folks (those interviews are available here)

Download the show here (MP3, 15MB) or subscribe to the RSS feed to download the show automatically.  The interview runs about 16 minutes.

Comments, suggestions and feedback are welcome either as replies to this post  or via e-mail to blueboxpodcast@gmail.com.
Audio comments sent as attached MP3 files are definitely welcome and
will be played in future shows.  You may also call the listener comment
line at +1-206-338-6654 to leave a comment there.

Blue Box Podcast Spring VON #1 – Phil Zimmermann interview about Zfone

Synopsis: Interview with Phil Zimmermann about his new Zfone project, the ZRTP protocol and other related topics. The interview was recorded at the Spring VON show in San Jose, California, on March 16, 2006.


Welcome a special edition of Blue Box: The VoIP Security Podcast from the floor of the Spring 2006 VON conference in San Francisco, CA. In this interview with Phil Zimmermann we talk about his Zfone project and how it has evolved since it was first announced in January (which we covered here).  Phil explains the origins of his ideas, how Zfone works, how ZRTP works and how people can get involved with the public Zfone beta program.  More information is available at http://www.philzimmermann.com/

Download the show here (MP3, 20MB) or subscribe to the RSS feed to download the show automatically.  The interview runs about 22 minutes.

Comments, suggestions and feedback are welcome either as replies to this post  or via e-mail to blueboxpodcast@gmail.com.
Audio comments sent as attached MP3 files are definitely welcome and
will be played in future shows.  You may also call the listener comment
line at +1-206-338-6654 to leave a comment there.

Update on the RSA conference: only Jonathan is there

Alas, the weather in the Northeast US was not particularly cooperative for airline flights today and that coupled with some other deadlines kept me (Dan) safely nestled here in snow-less Vermont (yes, indeed, that blizzard missed us).  However, Jonathan will be out there at the RSA conference and will be moderating a panel session on VoIP security on Wednesday.  Do drop a note to ‘blueboxpodcast@gmail.com’ if you would like to connect – or find Jonathan at that session.

If you are going to be at the RSA Conference next week…

If you are a listener and going to be out at the 2006 RSA Conference next week in San Jose, please do drop us an e-mail so that we can say hello in person. I (Dan) will only be there Tuesday and Wednesday but Jonathan will be there for much of the week. By the way, on Tuesday, Dave Endler, Chair of the VoIP Security Alliance will be giving a talk and on Wednesday Jonathan will be moderating a panel. (It should be fairly obvious that both sessions will be about VoIP security!) Anyway, if you are out at the show, do let us know!

Anyone attending “Internet Telephony” or “Emerging Telephony”?

Two great VoIP conferences… same darn time… and 3,000 miles apart…

If you are attending either the O’Reilly Emerging Telephony Conference January 24-26 in San Francisco or the TMC.net Internet Telephony show happening at the same time across the continent in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we would definitely be interested in touching base.

Given that Mitel has others going to Internet Telephony, I’m heading out to SF to O’Reilly’s ETel conference where, if schedules permit, Jonathan and I might actually connect and do that week’s podcast face-to-face.  I’m expecting to do some interviews at the show and perhaps record a couple of the security-related sessions.  I expect to offer some of those recordings either as part of that week’s podcast or perhaps as special edition podcasts.  If you are attending the ETel conference and would like to be interviewed, please drop an e-mail so we can arrange a time.  If you are going to the show and just want to connect and say hello (i.e. you don’t want to do an interview), feel free to drop a note as well… I’m always up to meet folks who listen.

Across the continent, if folks are going to Internet Telephony, we’d love to have some "reports" about VoIP security-related announcements or sessions that happen at that conference.  What are we looking for?  Well, for instance:

  • There are a couple of VoIP security-related conference sessions. If someone were to attend those sessions and send back a brief summary of their thoughts about the sessions, that would be welcome.  Were the sessions worthwhile? Anything really interesting or new?
  • The trade show floor will have some vendors offering products or services relating to VoIP security.  If someone wanted to send back their thoughts around VoIP security offerings on the trade show floor… what’s new and exciting?  Any new security-related products/services that caught your eye?

That’s the kind of information we are looking for.  Basically anything newsworthy or interesting for listeners who can’t make it to show.  Think of it this way – if you couldn’t attend the show, what would you like to hear about what was seen/discussed at the show?

Note: We’ll see the news releases for announcements coming out of Internet Telephony, but what we can’t do is push the buttons, play with the GUI, see the demo presentations or anything else that would help form an opinion. That’s the kind of info that would be best: you saw the demo, poked at it – what do you think? Also note that we’re not expect pure cheerleading… if you see something and you are not impressed, that opinion is welcome, too.

As far as format for sending in "reports", well, here would be my preference in order:

  1. audio file(s) sent in via e-mail (in any format)
  2. call into the comment line (1-206-338-6654) and leave a voicemail there (you could do this any number of times)
  3. drop me a note and I call you and record a conversation with you
  4. send in an e-mail report (which I’ll read on the show)

Obviously since this is a podcast, audio is preferred, but e-mail is great, too.  As far as time, whatever you want to do: a minute or two… or five or 10.  Whatever.  Keep in mind that if you call the comment line, I get an audio file which I can edit, and I’ve gotten real good at post-production, so I can edit out any things you don’t want me to include (provided you tell me that) or drop out egregious "ums", etc.

Anyway, if you are attending either show and would be interested in either connecting or providing a report, please do send us an e-mail letting us know.

P.S. If someone really wants to go the extra mile and bring along a MP3 recorder to do actual interviews with vendors there at Internet Telephony, that would of course be welcome and we’d be glad to include them… but that’s way more than we’re asking for.