Heading off VoIP Spam at the Pass: Qovia, Inc. today announced that it has filed a patent application for a method to identify and block VoIP Spam and prevent security problems such as Denial of Service (DoS) attacks that have the potential to overload voice servers and affect system reliability. The patent application, titled, “System and Method for Broadcasting VoIP Messages,” covers the use of VoIP for emergency broadcast as well as provides for methodologies to prevent inappropriate use of VoIP applications such as Spam over Internet Telephony, also known as SPIT or VoIP Spam.

VoIP Spam is a combination of telemarketing calls and e-mail spam in which a single “caller” uses Internet technology to send thousands of voice messages simultaneously into callers’ VoIP voice mailboxes. The United States Telecommunications Association recently described this capability as a top security challenge ahead for the telephony industry. In an attempt to prevent the spread of VoIP Spam, Qovia has created an application that can identify unsolicited and unwanted messages and differentiate these messages from those that recipients desire to receive. Qovia plans to incorporate this tool into a security module that will be available as part of the company’s VoIP Monitoring and Management System (VMMS) later this year.