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Writer's pictureEric Brackett

VoIP Security: Tips, Best Practices, Common Threats, & More


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Discover the best tips, tricks, and strategies to combat common VoIP security threats and ensure a safe business communication environment.  


VoIP Security Statistics 

  • 82% of hacks involve data stored in the cloud, meaning businesses using VoIP services need to take extra security precautions. (IBM) 

  • 1 in every 6 adults in the U.S. becomes a victim of scam calls. (True Caller) 

  • 25% of Wi-Fi access points around the world are unsecure. (Karpesky)  

  • 76% of consumers don't do business with businesses they don’t trust. (Cisco)  

  • Nearly 31% of all businesses use VoIP business phone systems. (In-Telecom) 

  • VoIP has grown more than 200% since the start of the Covid Pandemic. (Thrive-my-way) 

  • 40% of businesses have suffered from cyberattacks due to failures on third-party devices. (World Economic Forum) 


Why VoIP Security Matters 

Security is essential for all types of organizations regardless of size or industry. No matter your size, a disruption can be business threatening and result in catastrophic outcomes.  


Voice over IP (VoIP) is a powerful tool for businesses to streamline operations, boost productivity, and enhance customer experiences. But if left unsecured, it could become a potential target for hackers. 


Common VoIP Security Threats 


Denial of Service 

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack overwhelms your Voice system with excessive traffic, disrupting service and preventing legitimate users from accessing it. 


War Dialing  

War Dialing involves hackers using software to automatically dial phone numbers, searching for vulnerable systems within your telephone network.  


Though less common today, similar techniques are still used to scan networks and expose weaknesses. 


Toll Fraud 

Toll fraud, International Revenue Sharing Fraud (IRSF) or Phreaking attacks, is when hackers exploit vulnerabilities within your phone system to make unauthorized long-distance or international calls, resulting in significant financial losses for your organization.  


Social Engineering  

Social Engineering is a broad term that refers to any method used by attackers to manipulate or trick people into giving up confidential information, often by exploiting human psychology. This can include phishing emails, fake in-person interactions, or phone scams. 


Phishing 

In phishing attacks, cybercriminals attempt to trick members of your organization into revealing sensitive information though e-mails, text messages, or phone calls.  


Vishing 

Vishing, or voice phishing, is a specific type of social engineering scam conducted over the phone. In a vishing attack, scammers impersonate legitimate organizations or people to trick victims into sharing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers. 


Call Interception / Eavesdropping  

In call interception (also known as Eavesdropping) attackers monitor or record phone calls, video, messages, and more without the consent of the parties involved.  


Call Tampering 

Call tampering consists of injecting additional noise packets into your calls resulting in extremely low call quality, spotty calls, and prolonged periods of silence.  


SPIT / Robocalls   

SPIT (Spam Over Internet Telephony), also known as Robocalls, refers to unwanted voice messages sent over VoIP. Using automated systems, scammers flood your phone lines with spam calls, often disguising their identity with fake caller IDs to seem legitimate. 


Malware 

Malicious software can also affect VoIP devices by allowing hackers to get unauthored network access to your network, stealing your data, or causing network traffic disruptions.  


Packet Sniffing 

Packet sniffing is when hackers intercept your voice packets as they are traveling across your network. Once intercepted, hackers can decode the packets and gain access to sensitive information.  


Ransomware 

Ransomware is an attack where a victim opens a file that appears to come from a trusted source. Once clicked or downloaded, the malicious software encrypts all files on the server, locking out everyone until a ransom is paid. 


Typically, these ransoms are collected through digital currencies like Bitcoin, making the money difficult to track.  


VOMIT (Voice Misconfigured Internet Telephone)  

VOMIT is a hacking tool that attackers use to capture voice data from your VoIP system. It converts this data into audio conversations, allowing bad actors to eavesdrop on and replay private calls, compromising sensitive information. 


VoIP Security Best Practices to Protect Your Communication Systems 


Restrict Access to Suspicious Calls  

Restricting access to suspicious calls will not only reduce the chances of becoming a victim of a cyberattack, but it will also make your agents more efficient and reliable.  

 

Set Up Firewalls & Intrusion Prevention Systems 

Setting up firewalls and intrusion prevention systems will allow you to monitor and filter unauthorized voice traffic.  

 

Secure Your Servers Physically and Digitally 

Having the appropriate cybersecurity measures is crucial to ensure your overall network security. A crucial mistake is concentrating all your resources into digital protection while neglecting physical security. 


Implementing business security systems such as access control systems, surveillance cameras, and secure server rooms is essential to protect your IT infrastructure. By integrating both physical and digital security measures, you create a comprehensive defense that safeguards your network and makes it far more difficult for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities

 

Keep Your Systems Up to Date 

Ensuring your systems are updated regularly is one of the most effective ways to avoid malicious exploits and unreliable software. Enable automatic updates to ensure you have access to the latest security, and feature upgrades.  

 

Segment Voice Traffic from Data Traffic 

Segmenting voice and data traffic is crucial to enhance voice security, increasing call quality, and simplifying network management. This separation allows to detect and mitigate threats easier, allowing voice traffic to receive the necessary bandwidth for optimal performance, resulting in increased call quality and reliability.  

 

Implement Strong Security Policies 

Creating strong policies is the foundation of effective cybersecurity. Implementing strong security policies will allow employees to know when and how to act, allowing you to enhance your security measures and reduce the chances of unexpected disruptions.  

 

Conduct Employee Training Sessions Regularly  

Did you know that human error is responsible for 95% of data breaches? (IBM). Training your employees on the latest cybersecurity threats, and cybersecurity best practices will allow them to effectively identify, avoid, and mitigate all kinds of threats.  

 

Enforce MFA & Strong Password Policies 

Strong passwords are essential to ensure your systems are protected against cyberthreats. Make sure your passwords use a combination of letters, numbers, and non-alphanumeric numbers to strengthen your security. 

 

To take it further, enable MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) in all your accounts and devices.  

 

Deactivate Inactive Accounts 

Inactive accounts can be an entry to your network. Make sure that your IT team is notified whenever an employee leaves your company or an account needs to be deactivated. By applying this simple principle, you can minimize workplace disruptions and strengthen your overall security. 

 

Call Encryption 

Encryption is a fundamental VoIP security measure used to protect your communications. Encrypting your communication services and systems ensures that:  


  • Only authorized parties can access the information. 

  • Security threats like eavesdropping, tampering, or data manipulation are prevented. 

  • The risk of spoofing attacks, where hackers pose as legitimate users, is reduced. 


Require Remote Staff to Use VPNs 

VPNs enable remote staff to encrypt all traffic regardless of their location, allowing remote workers to work safely from anywhere at any time.  

 

Implement Remote Monitoring and Management 

Implementing BTI’s RMM as a Service will allow you to free up resources while you have a team of dedicated IT and voice specialists proactively monitoring your network to ensure all your systems are working in peak conditions.  


If any vulnerability is detected, our team will immediately mitigate any risk before any disruption arises to ensure continuous operation and world-class security.  


Choosing a VoIP Secure VoIP Provider 

Here are some of the variables you should consider choosing a secure VoIP provider: 

  • What certifications or accreditation do they have?  

  • Are your providers' support services efficient and reliable?  

  • Are their communications systems encrypted?  

  • Do they have a proactive security approach towards VoIP security? 

  • How fast do they respond to incidents in case something happens 

  • What’s their uptime guarantee? 

  • How do their third-party data agreements work?  


Certifications and Compliance 

Having a secure and compliant business communication system will enhance VoIP security while avoiding expensive regulatory fines. While every organization and industry have different compliance requirements here are some of the top certifications you should keep in mind.  

 

HIPAA 

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) main goal is to ensure healthcare providers handle patient sensitive data safely. The main goal of HIPAA is to improve patient data safety and safeguard sensitive information.  

 

ISO/IEC 20071  

ISO/IEC 27001 main goal is to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizations information assets. Following the guidelines outlined in this standard allows organizations to significantly reduce the risk associated with cyberattacks.  

 

PCI Compliance 

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance is a set of guidelines designed to ensure the secure handling of credit card transactions and card holder information.

  

This standard is managed by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) an organization founded by five of the biggest credit card brands world-wide: American Express, Discover, JCB International, Mastercard, and Visa.  

 

SOC 2  

SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) is a security and compliance standard that ensures service providers protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, security incidents, data breaches, and other vulnerabilities. 

 

The SOC 2 standard was developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and it’s built to ensure companies meet five key areas: 


  • Security 

  • Availability 

  • Integrity 

  • Confidentiality 

  • Privacy 


Support Services 

By investing in reliable VoIP security services, your organization will successfully handle all your existing and operational measures in a safe and secure way. Services like BTI’s GlobalView support will give you access to a dedicated support team that: 


  • Monitor, detect, and mitigate threats 

  • Ensures timely incident response to minimize damage 

  • Ensures VoIP security best practices are applied within your organization 

  • Assist with software updates, troubleshooting, and problem solving, 

  • Ensure regulatory compliance within your organization 

  • And more 


All of this for a comprehensive price.   


Proactive Security Approach 

Developing proactive cybersecurity strategies allows you to stay ahead of cyberthreats by fixing potential issues before they cause major disruptions. Make sure your IT team and voice providers have a proactive security strategy in place, this will allow you minimize the impact of any cyberthreats while drastically improving your incident response time.  


Incident Response Times 

Incident response times refers to the speed in which your communications teams can detect, respond, and mitigate a cyberthreat. The faster your team can deal with unexpected issues, the less disruption the threat will cause.  


Make sure your provider has a well-defined incident response plan, along with dedicated security teams, and tools to monitor your network health and performance.  


Uptime Guarantee 

An uptime guarantee is a service level agreement (SLAs) between your providers and your organization that specifies the percentage of time your VoIP services will be accessible and operational.  

A reliable VoIP provider should offer a minimum of 99.9% of guaranteed uptime. This means your VoIP services should be available 99.9% of the time.  

 

Third-Party Data Agreements 

Sometimes your provider will need to share your sensitive data with other parties to ensure an optimal performance of your communication systems. That’s why having secure third-party data agreements is crucial to keeping your organization safe.  


Before choosing your next provider, make sure their third-party data agreement covers the following:  


  • Data Security: Make sure the agreement clearly outlines the security measures that the third-party provider must follow.  

  • Data Usage: The agreement should specify the dos and don'ts of the shared data, including who can and who cannot have access to that data.  

  • Breach Notification: The agreement should clearly specify the procedures that must be followed in the event of a data breach to quickly respond and mitigate the incident.  

  • Liability and Indemnification: A reliable provider should allocate resources to protect your organization from cybersecurity incidents. Make sure to check your providers liability and indemnification policies before choosing them.  


Your One-Stop Shop for All Your VoIP Security Needs 

BTI has more than 37 years of experience providing business communication and security services to small businesses and enterprise level organizations.  


Whether you are looking to modernize your communication systems, implement AI, or strengthen your VoIP security measures, you are in the right place!


Contact us today to schedule your free assessment and discover how BTI can transform your business.  


FAQs 


Is VoIP Technology Secure? 

Yes, VoIP technology can be secure, especially when compared to traditional communication methods. However, it remains vulnerable to cyberattacks if proper security measures, like encryption, firewalls, and regular updates are not implemented. 


What is the biggest security risk associated with VoIP?  

Eavesdropping /call interception is one of the most common risks that VoIP users face. However, this could be avoided if the proper security measures are in place.  



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