Michael Ball
Michael Ball
Deepak Chandran
Sanath K
Deepashri S
As we navigate an increasingly interconnected world, the importance of secure voice communication has never been higher. From political leaders to military personnel to average citizens, protecting the confidentiality of voice communications has always been a top priority. In this article, we will examine the evolution of secure voice technology and the innovations that have influenced its development.
During World War II, scrambling devices such as the SIGSALY were utilized to secure communications between military leaders (Budiansky, 2000). These early encryption techniques relied on analog technology, which involved modifying the frequency and amplitude of the transmitted voice signal to render it unintelligible without a corresponding decryptor.
In the 1970s, the introduction of digital technology revolutionized secure voice communication. (Coppersmith, 1994) The introduction of the Data Encryption Standard (DES) in 1977 marked a significant turning point in cryptographic history. This symmetric-key algorithm was the foundation of numerous voice encryption systems, allowing for secure communication over digital networks.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the widespread adoption of mobile phones and the internet presented new challenges and opportunities for secure voice communication. To secure Voice over IP (VoIP) conversations, encryption techniques such as the Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) were developed (Zimmermann et al., 2011). In addition, mobile devices with built-in encryption capabilities, such as BlackBerry, have gained popularity among professionals and government officials desiring secure communication (Ulanoff, 2010).
End-to-end encryption has become the gold standard for secure voice communication in recent years. Popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal have incorporated end-to-end encryption to prevent interception of user conversations (Unger et al., 2015). Moreover, developments in artificial intelligence and quantum computing present new opportunities and obstacles for the future of secure voice technology (Yan et al., 2019).
As The development of secure voice technology demonstrates ongoing efforts to protect the confidentiality of voice communications. As technology evolves, so must our voice communication security methods. By gaining knowledge from the past and incorporating new technologies, we can work toward a future in which voice communication is both private and secure.
Budiansky, S. (2000). The comprehensive history of codebreaking during World War II. Press Free.
1994. Coppersmith, D. The standard for data encryption (DES) and its resistance to assaults. 38(3), pp. 243-250, IBM Journal of Research and Development.
L. Ulanoff (2010). An overview of BlackBerry's past. Mashable. Obtainable at https://mashable.com/2010/09/27/history-of-blackberry/
Unger, N., Dechand, S., Bonneau, J., Fahl, S., Perl, H., Goldberg, I., & Smith, M. (2015). SoK: Secure communication. 232-249, 2015 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy.
A survey on trust management for the Internet of Things, by Yan, Zhang, and Vasilakos (2019). 42, 120-134, Journal of Network and Computer Applications.
Zimmermann, R., Kohloffel, L., & Federrath, H. (2011). Security of Voice over IP: Analysis
