Credit: mrdoomits / Getty Images Zfone, a free piece of software that encrypts voice-over-IP (VoIP) calls in a way that may circumvent government eavesdropping laws in some countries, is now available to Windows users, its developer said on Sunday. The software works in a peer-to-peer manner, exchanging encryption keys directly between the two people making a voice call. Other approaches, like the commonly used PKI, typically rely on a centralized database, usually hosted by a third party, to manage keys. The distinction is important in some places, where the debate about the rights of governments to eavesdrop on its citizens’ phone calls is growing increasingly heated. Zfone presents a challenge in the United States, for example, where the government has ruled that VoIP providers will soon have to turn over call detail records, just like regular phone companies. But the law in the United States applies to service providers, not end users. That means that callers can use Zfone to encrypt calls, and the government currently can’t demand that the users share the encryption keys in order to understand the contents of the call. Zfone could be less effective for privacy advocates in some other countries. Last week, the U.K. government signaled that it is working toward enacting regulations that would require companies and individual people to hand over encryption keys or face jail time. With the encryption key in hand, authorities could listen to conversations made over VoIP calls. The software uses extensions to real-time transport protocol (RTP) for the key exchange. Zfone’s developers have submitted the extensions, under the name ZRTP, to the Internet Engineering Task Force for consideration as a standard.Both participants of a VoIP call must be running Zfone for its encryption to work. For now, Zfone can be used only with software VoIP clients, like those used on computers, but developers can license it to integrate it into their hardware. Customers of service providers like Vonage Holdings, for example, who use adapters that allow the use of existing analog telephones, won’t be able to use Zfone because the software isn’t yet built into the adapter hardware. Zfone also can’t be used with Skype because Skype uses a proprietary protocol. Customers can download the software here. Versions for Mac OS X and Linux are already available.Philip Zimmermann, the creator of the e-mail encryption tool Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), developed Zfone. The U.S. government launched and later dropped a criminal investigation into Zimmermann as a result of PGP.-Nancy Gohring, IDG News ServiceFor related news coverage, read VoIP Security: It’s All About the Implementation.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content BrandPost What’s next for network operations Broadcom: 2023 Tech Trends That Transform IT By Serge Lucio, Vice President and General Manager, Agile Operations Division Mar 20, 2023 8 mins IT Leadership Networking BrandPost Digital transformation obstacles: Stubborn challenges, what to do about them Value Stream Management is an increasingly essential approach to strategic transformation initiatives. To help teams more fully capitalize on the opportunities it presents, Broadcom is holding its third annual VSM Summit. By Marla Schimke, Head of Product and Growth Marketing, Broadcom's Enterprise Software Division Mar 20, 2023 3 mins Devops Software Development Feature CEO directives: Top 5 initiatives for IT leaders As organizations change course with economic gyrations, collaboration between IT and business becomes priority No. 1 for CEOs. By Stacy Collett Mar 20, 2023 7 mins IT Leadership Feature Topgolf Callaway tees up digital transformation for global expansion As Topgolf Callaway Brands transitions from focusing on manufacturing golf equipment to integrating its apparel and technology acquisitions, digital transformation is helping drive its future. By Thor Olavsrud Mar 20, 2023 6 mins Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe