Secure your Business SIP Phones

The risks of using SIP and easy ways to stop them even before they cause damage to your business.

19:15 15 November 2017

So, your SIP system is already in place. The next step that you need to take is to ensure your system’s security and privacy. It is important that you keep hackers at bay and prevent them from stealing confidential information, such as your customer records. This is one way to strengthen your customer relationships as well as your company’s brand reputation.

 

Below are the common risks of SIP and the simple ways to prevent them from occurring:

 

·       Denial of Service (DOS) attacks – Hackers can flood a VoIP network server with SIP call-signalling messages to slow down or stop system traffic. This can lead to decreased productivity and loss in sales.

 

·       Eavesdropping – Audio streams can be intercepted by hackers and put sensitive information at risk. This trick is often used by hackers for identify theft.

 

·       Phreaking – This is another type of call fraud where hackers steal service from a service provider. This allows them to change calling plans, rack up calls on an account, or add more credit to an account.

 

·       Vishing – This is the voice-based equivalent of e-mail phishing scheme in which the hackers use ID spoofing to trick customers to share sensitive data.

 

The best way to deal with the risks that come with SIP is to stop them before they occur. These can be done by making sure that SIP calls that your company makes and receives are encrypted. 

 

You must also use strong passwords for your SIP network and ensure that your network administrators are closely monitoring your network. 

 

Other things that can help are using a virtual private network (VPN), session border controller, and antivirus software.