Voice over the Internet
telephony is booming these days because of its many benefits. Internet
telephone systems are pocket-friendly ways to make a lot of calls. You don't
need to pay heavy bills like PSTN phones. Also, subscribers get a lot of other
benefits like conference calls, voice messages, etc., with VoIP telephony.
Moreover, you get the software integrity option. All you need is a high-speed
net connection to relish the amazing benefit of VoIP. Also, you can keep your
existing phone number. Many savvy business
VoIP service
providers in Chicago assist you in
this procedure.
Although there are so many
advantages of voice over internet telephony, you still need to take extra security
measures. The reason is that voice is transferred in the form of data packets.
For instance, if the message sent is unencrypted from one point to another,
anybody in the network can access it or eavesdrop on the conversation.
Therefore, it is important to put VoIP security first in line. Otherwise, your
organization has to pay a lot later. Furthermore, with weak VoIP security,
anybody can unearth your company's sensitive and confidential information. This
piece of article is all about 6 effective ways to improve internet telephony
security. But, before discussing this in detail, let us have little insight
into key security threats to VoIP systems.
● War Dialing
In war dialing, attackers dial
many phone numbers to find the weakest point and then connect to the modem.
After that, they take control over PBX and scan the network.
● Phishing
The people who trust their
caller ID become victims of this attack. This is because they reveal internal
IP network details, passcodes, and other sensitive information unknowingly to
the attacker.
● Spam
Undoubtedly, the voicemail box
is the top target of cybercriminals. They hack them and steal vital information
from the business organization.
● Toll Fraud
Like war dialing, this attack
also becomes effective only if you dial a number outside your network. The
attacker will try to entice you by making a call from an expensive overseas
number.
● DoS
Denial Of Service attacks
strive to interrupt the ongoing calls. Generally, DOS is performed on call
centers of the businesses to degrade the quality and uptime of voice calls.
● Call
Redirection
Scammers gain access to your
internet telephone system and re-route the class to fetch confidential
information of the customers.
6 Proven
Tips To Secure VoIP Telephone System
● Install Strong
Firewall
A robust firewall is essential
for IP-based telephony. This controls the incoming and outgoing traffic and
makes certain that the line is terminated at the end of the session. Moreover,
it also pinpoints distrustful calling patterns. So pick up the phone and
consult with your VoIP business service
provider, whether they are providing you with these features or not.
● High-Level
Encryption
Apart from strong firewalls,
top-secret level encryption is also required in VoIP systems. It prevents your
voice calls from eavesdropping. Although most of the VoIP telephony solutions
claim high-level data encryption, it is pivotal to verify how effective it is
in actuality.
● Keep Upto Date
You need to update your
organization's VoIP system frequently to avoid cybercriminals. This especially
applies to firmware to keep everything running.
● VPN
If some of your employees work
remotely, it is vital to set up a virtual private network for extra safety. It
works just like a tunnel between two points. VPN adds an extra layer of
encryption and reduces the complications related to SIP (Session Initiation
Protocol) trunking.
● Watch Call
Logs
Another way to secure VoIP
telephony from cyber threats is by inspecting the call logs of the company from
time to time. On detecting suspicious calling trends and behavior, it is vital
to consult the VoIP service provider
promptly.
● Shut Down
Inactive Accounts
When an employee leaves your
company, always shut down their VoIP accounts. By doing this, you can alleviate
workplace disturbance and cyber threats as well.
● Use Strong
Passcode
Always use strong password
authentication to access confidential information: include alphanumeric,
numeric, lowercase and uppercase letters.
The Bottom Line:
In addition to the above tips,
it is important to educate employees on cybersecurity. It can be done by
providing them with efficient training on potential security threats.