Are VoIP Phone Systems Vulnerable to Attacks? VoIP Security Explained.

Ready For VoIP?

As a business on the cutting edge you’ve decided to opt for a cloud-based phone system for your new office. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is not just cost effective but also benefits from several advantages over a traditional phone system.

But now that you’ve made your final choice, you’re left wondering if VoIP is really secure and safe for your business. Can VoIP phone systems really introduce security concerns?

VoIP is a digital call. No telephone lines are used in a VoIP phone system. Being on the internet, there is always a possibility of it getting intercepted and hacked. But sophisticated and advanced security measures are in place that ensure minimal security breaches.

Let’s try to delve deeper into this and understand more about VoIP — the cloud-based phone system.

No Phone System Is Fully Bulletproof

Okay, so here’s the big fact. No matter which phone system you choose for your organization, you will have to harden it and make it resilient to security threats. No phone system out there is completely safe or bulletproof.

New security threats continue to be discovered regularly, and for now there seems to be no escape other than hardening your phone system.

A survey by JP Morgan reveals that 94% of companies in 2019 had adopted measures to harden their infrastructure. Malware, including Ransomware, was their biggest worry, topping the list at 48%.

How big or small your organization is it does not matter. A disruption to your phone system can be extremely harmful for your business.

Benefits of Using a VoIP Phone System

The low costs of VoIP may lure you to opt for cloud-based phone system for your organization, but the constant worry about VoIP security keeps you looking for ways to prevent an attack on your network. The good news is that due to advanced security measures in place, your VoIP system is quite secure. Though the nature of security threats has evolved over the years, VoIP has successfully endured two decades of penetration testing and is still going strong.

This is because for your VoIP phone system to work, all you need is a stable network connection. No VoIP infrastructure needs to be maintained or installed. No telephones wires need to be installed. It’s all virtual.

As the name suggests, using VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, calls are made over the internet. This saves, both small and large, businesses the expense of IT and communication.

All that is required is that your IT team maintain a secure network for all the company’s users and staff. VoIP also makes it easy for you and your teams to work from home. This can’t be more useful than right now, especially now as most businesses continue to adopt a hybrid work environment post COVID.

Some of the top benefits and security advantages that VoIP phone systems enjoy over traditional phone systems include:

• Call encryption
• Calling plan usage is monitored in real-time
• Only depend on toll-free calls

Types of VoIP Security Threats

Threats to VoIP have evolved over the years, presenting new opportunities to attackers. Some of the VoIP security issues you will need to safeguard your organization against include:

• Call interception
• Malware
• Phishing
• War dialing
• Toll fraud
• Denial of Service (DoS)
• Spam

While security attacks can be catastrophic for your organization, there are also effective countermeasures present to mitigate VoIP security concerns.

Mitigation Tactics

Security isn’t as puzzling as it appears to us, and all is not lost. Using some basic cybersecurity methods and best practices VoIP can be made secure. To protect your VoIP network from threats you can follow these simple tips and ensure security for your organization.

• Implement strong password policy
• Regular operating system updates
• Conduct regular security assessments
• Disable unused employee accounts
• Set up VPNs for remote staff
• Review company’s call logs

Along with these, ask your team to not store voicemail messages longer than required and also educate your staff, both in-house and remote, on security practices. If possible, train them to spot phishing and social engineering scams.

These best practices may not make your organization 100% safe from security threats, but they will surely minimize the risks to a large extent.

Consider These Before Making Your Final Choice

To ensure you get only the best results you need to use the best too. Before you pick that one VoIP provider for your organization, there are a few things you should keep in mind, such as:

• Accreditations you have
• Third-party tools you use
• Training model used
• Security measures adopted

Some of the top certifications and Accreditations your organization should have include:

• Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance
• ISO/IEC 20071 global standard
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance
• Service Organization Control (SOC) compliance

Despite VoIP not being 100% secure, companies have been using it. This alone proves how valuable it is for organizations. From being a personal service to now becoming an important business communication platform, VoIP has indeed come a long way.