One of the most common questions that businesses and IT leaders ask about when obtaining a VoIP phone system is security. Is VoIP secure? Despite VoIP systems saving businesses tons of money and adding improved features, the security that VoIP systems offer is sometimes subject to threats. With all the benefits of these systems, users need to understand that cloud-based systems might be resilient to security threats.
No system is bulletproof and threat free but with security being a moving target, your phone system needs to be hardened. Businesses need to make sure that all the bases are covered when dealing with internet-based systems.
Why VoIP Security Matters
Security needs to be essential to every business, and it doesn’t matter whether your organization is big or small. The good news is that VoIP systems are quite safe and secure today, even as natural security threats continue to evolve. Unlike other IT security threats, VoIP presents new opportunities for attackers, because all information is stored online. Now, VoIP systems offer encryption options, boosting the level of trust that’s conveyed over networks. If your business communication platform isn’t compromised, then no threats will be carried out.
Hackers can attack VoIP systems by social engineering via phone calls, disclosing internal wifi network passwords, dialing expensive phone numbers, intercepting multi-factor authentication messages, and gaining unauthorized access to data networks. With all these ways that hackers can steal business information, VoIP security measures must be improved.
Top VoIP Security Threats
You are probably cautious as to what types of threats are out there for your VoIP systems, and we will list a few. Here’s a short rundown of things that you can expect while utilizing a VoIP system for your business.
- Denial of Service- This attack blocks all users from your network, interrupting phone services, and dropping calls. For most call centers, this is extremely detrimental to customer satisfaction.
- War Dialing- War dialing involves your PBX to scan other telephone networks by dialing numbers to connect your system to other modems. From here, hackers are able to intercept calls and mess up communications.
- Toll Fraud- This a big attack because like war dialing, this requires extensive access to make calls to an outside line from your phone system. Attackers can dial expensive international phone numbers that will result in racking up costs for your VoIP system.
- Phishing- This type of attack preys on unsuspecting users that place their full trust in caller ID. Victims can lose important details about their home networks, passwords, and other personal data.
- Spam- No surprise to most, spam in the voicemail box is one of the most common targets for internet hackers. This isn’t a dangerous threat but can be annoying for businesses that have full voicemail boxes when clients are looking to connect with your business.
What Security Measures VoIP Systems Offer
VoIP phone systems will offer users many security advantages over that of a traditional phone system. The bottom line is that VoIP phone systems will offer businesses better privacy, security, and reliability for their businesses.
- These systems offer real-time monitoring for each calling plan.
- There is strict enforcement of toll-free calls.
- Call encryption is used to prevent eavesdropping
- Voicemail features are more robust, especially for email delivery.
How VoIP Users can Protect Their Information
Users can take advantage of the VoIP features that enable enhanced security for their systems. Essentially with these features, your VoIP system will offer you full control of all passwords and even restrict the types of calls that are allowed on your secured network. Here are a few more tips that your business can use to protect itself, crucial information, and all employees from hackers and security threats.
- Setting up firewall prevention systems- Users can do this to monitor and even filter authorized and unauthorized VoIP traffic. With this system, users can also track unusual voice activities that their network experiences.
- Locking Voice Servers- By locking voice servers, your network will only be able to be utilized by the administration, and will force employees to use two-factor authentication systems.
- Encrypting Sensitive Voice Traffic- Applying device and user encryption to your systems will result in excessive network latency, and will protect all data packets that are transmitted.
- Implementing Strict Security Policies- By asking employees to immediately report anomalies over their systems will be crucial in stopping attacks before they happen. By applying strong passwords and deleting all sensitive information that isn’t needed over your systems, hackers won’t have any information to steal.
- Separating Networks- Asking employees to use VLANs to segment voice traffic and separate it from basic data traffic will also allow your devices to be kept safe.
Protect Your Business From All Threats
Even though security for your systems is not a new concept, the threat is very real in the day to day functions of your business. Luckily, VoIP systems offer plenty of measures that can be taken to minimize security threats, there is always more than can be done. All users need to understand the systems they are working with and deal with sensitive information accordingly.
Employees, managers, and contracts alike will need to be on the same page when it comes to security measures and policies. All within your business need to understand and follow rules that are set in place so that all information your business is holding is kept safe. VoIP networks give businesses the opportunity to strengthen security with their state of the art communication systems, so sticking with the tips we listed, will bring about nothing but safety for your business and VoIP system.