CNET reports the National Science Foundation (NSF) has given George Mason University a grant for $307,436 (what an odd number!) to develop a “prototype VoIP-tracing application to provide a ‘critical but currently missing capability in the fight on crime and terrorism.’” It’s already been demoed on Skype and the proxy service Findnot.com.
Savvy users can use an anonymizing or proxy service to conceal their location. Researchers discovered by embedding a unique, undetectable signature in Skype packets, they can identify that signature when they reached their destination. Unlike traditional wiretaps, this research shows the identities of the participants and not the content of their conversation.