Processing sensitive information over VoIP

1. A method of processing, by a call processor, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) media call comprising sensitive information, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at the call processor a first signalling stream from a first entity;

creating a second signalling stream from the call processor to a second entity;

forwarding signals received from the first signalling stream to the second signalling stream;

receiving a third signalling stream at the call processor from the second entity;

creating a fourth signalling stream from the call processor to the first entity; and

forwarding signals received on the third signalling stream to the fourth signalling stream;

the first signalling stream containing instructions to set up a VoIP media call between the first entity and the second entity such that:

(a) media comprising audio information is transmitted over a first media stream from the first entity to the second entity without intervention by the call processor; and

(b) media comprising audio information is transmitted over a second media stream from the second entity to the first entity without intervention by the call processor;

in which the method comprises, when said sensitive information is to be included in said audio information, receiving at the call processor of a message from the second entity to reroute said media streams so that these are redirected via the call processor, said media streams being rerouted by:

(i) the call processor sending a message to the first entity to cause media comprising audio information to be transmitted over a third media stream to the call processor, the call processor creating a fourth media stream from the call processor to the second entity and forwarding media comprising audio information received from the first entity via the third media stream to the second entity over the fourth media stream; and

(ii) the call processor sending a message to the second entity to cause media comprising audio information to be transmitted over a fifth media stream to the call processor, the call processor creating a sixth media stream from the call processor to the first entity and forwarding media comprising audio information received from the second entity via the fifth media stream to the first entity over the sixth media stream; and

using the call processor to modify media comprising audio information received from the first entity by removing sensitive audio information from said received audio information before forwarding said media comprising audio information over the fourth media stream to the second entity; and

using the call processor to modify media comprising audio information received from the second entity by removing sensitive audio information from said received audio information before forwarding said media comprising audio information over the sixth media stream to the first entity.

2. The method according to claim 1 , in which the call processor modifies said received media by removing DTMF tones from the audio information before said forwarding of said media stream.

3. The method according to claim 1 , in which the call processor modifies said received media by removing spoken sensitive information from the audio information before said forwarding of said media stream.

4. The method according to claim 1 , in which the second entity is a contact centre, further comprising the steps of:

the contact centre sending a message to a secure data collection server to indicate secure data collection is to be initiated on a particular VoIP media call;

the secure data collection server returning to the contact centre a personal identification number; and

wherein the message received by the call processor from the contact centre to reroute said media streams contains said personal identification number.

5. The method according to claim 1 , in which the method further comprises after said sensitive audio information has been transmitted in said media streams, the steps of:

the call processor sending a message to the first entity to cause said media to be sent over the first media steam to the second entity; and

the call processor sending a message to the second entity to cause said media to be sent over the second media stream to the first entity;

whereby the media streams are reconnected to bypass the call processor.

6. The method according to claim 1 , in which the first entity is a user.

7. The method according to claim 1 in which the signalling streams are SIP streams.

8. The method according to claim 1 in which the first media stream is an RTP stream and the second media stream is an RTP stream.

9. The method according to claim 1 , in which the second entity is a contact centre.