The 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict featured a series of innovative approaches to communications intelligence, which included utilizing civilian telephone networks to achieve tactical and psychological objectives. The "cell war" between the IDF and Hamas is indicative of an ongoing global struggle between asymmetrical insurgents and state actors to control large-scale telecommunications structures. "Cell wars" have been taking place for quite some time in Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, and several other nations, including inside the United States. Weapons in this hi-tech conflict include surveillance satellites, voice scramblers, encryption software and mobile phone cameras, among other technologies. Essentially, this war is being fought over the control over national and international telecommunications grids, and centers increasingly on telecommunications service providers -- companies such as Jawwal in Palestine, Roshan in Afghanistan, or Mobilink in Pakistan. These companies are rapidly becoming combat zones in a battle to control the channels of digital communications in 21st-century asymmetrical warfare.

See also, The Athens Affair:

How some extremely smart hackers pulled off the most audacious cell-network break-in ever

From the archive:

The phone is ringing! Answer it!

Can you hear me now?

NSA is said to be offering "billions" to any firm which can offer reliable eavesdropping on Skype IM and voice traffic.

Recently:

Silvio Berlusconi's government has drawn up a bill which would restrict police wiretaps to only the most serious crimes.

From three years ago:

According to the report, fugitive CEO Kobi Alexander was located after making a one-minute call via the online telephone Skype service. The call, made from the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, alerted intelligence agencies to his presence in the country.

Got questions? Get answers:

Which people in Kabul are using Skype?

Maltego is an open source intelligence and forensics application. It allows for the mining and gathering of information as well as the representation of this information in a meaningful way.

This is what you could call a Buy recommendation:

"It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," the source told us in an in-person conversation.