Many companies have discovered the flexibility and benefits of voiceover IP (VoIP) phone systems. By using the internet for making phone calls, VoIP is reliable, easy to access, and can save your company money--especially on international calls.
If your company has already jumped on the VoIP bandwagon or you’re thinking about it, you might have security concerns. Today, information is currency, so protecting data is a top priority for most companies.
What security concerns should you consider? Read on to learn about phreaking, vishing, and other strange-sounding threats. If you understand them and partner with a reputable provider, you can guard against these concerns.
Phreaking and Vishing and SPITing, Oh My!
Toll fraud, sometimes called phreaking, refers to someone using your VoIP service by hacking into it. Think of it like using your neighbor’s wifi. By using your phone network, the hacker gets by on your dime. The hacker gains the necessary user names or passwords by first eavesdropping on your system. They can then make costly long-distance calls that get charged to you. Unfortunately, we hear about toll fraud often.
Vishing is akin to phishing, or using email to pretend to represent an otherwise reputable company. A hacker can appear to call from inside your business to solicit personal information and money from unsuspecting customers.
SPIT stands for “spamming over internet telephony.” Spammers can use VOIP to make unwanted phone calls and leave numerous voicemails for any phone connected to the internet. The SPIT-er can send messages in bulk, dialing numerous phone numbers at once (like a bulk email). And, they are difficult to trace and prosecute.
Malware Everywhere
Since a VoIP system uses the internet it uses code. So, it’s susceptible to malicious code attacks like worms and malware. That code potentially infiltrates your whole computer system. One of the upsides of VoIP is that it integrates with your other software, like email and calendar applications. However, that connection also means that malicious code can travel from one place to another. Malware can install itself on your system and stop it from working or capture your data.
Keep Your Company Safe
Above all, choose a reputable and reliable provide for your VoIP system. Just as you want to make sure you can trust any company handling your technology, you want to make this decision right. Ask a lot of questions. Make sure your provider understands your concerns and is prepared to address them.
Next keep everything up-to-date. Make sure your handsets have the latest firmware (the software permanently installed on them). Install and updates and patches for the system right away.
A seemingly simple way to protect calls is to encrypt them, as has been done with other forms of communication. Wired magazine reports that, while encryption for VoIP has been up against challenges, there’s now a groundswell of support for it. Encryption is becoming more available and more in demand. It doesn’t work when--for example--a VoIP user calls someone who answers on a landline. However, as more people and companies adopt VoIP, they close that gap.
Other safety measures will sound familiar, too. Implement security protocols for your staff and educate them about the risks. Require that they only make VoIP calls on a secure wireless network. Use strong passwords and change them often.
Another security measure is to install a session border controller (SBC) or deep packet inspection (DPI). These can block or redirect suspicious activity along the route of your calls. They can help stop attacks before they happen. You can put policies in place that allow remote workers to continue using the system without letting in strangers.
A Secure VoIP Network Benefits Your Business
As your business grows, you can quickly and easily build out a VoIP system in a way that would cost much more with traditional phone lines. Your team members will work more efficiently while they take the same phone numbers with them anywhere, transfer calls, or conference in other parties, all with ease.
As long you take proper precautions to ensure security and privacy, your investment in a VoIP system will pay off quickly.