Many businesses are turning to VoIP (voice over internet protocol) technology for a variety of reasons — including lower costs and flexibility — but they’re not usually aware of common VoIP security threats, which leaves them at risk of being hacked.
Protecting yourself from cybercriminals attempting to gain access to your VoIP system requires an understanding of the techniques they use to try to infiltrate your networks.
There are several security issues you should pay close attention to if you’re using a VoIP service for your business.
Worms, trojans, and viruses. Just like any other type of hardware or software connected to the internet, VoIP technology — especially softphones, which enable users to place VoIP telephone calls from any device — are vulnerable to common types of malware, including worms, trojans, and viruses. One of the best ways to combat malware is to educate your employees on potential threats. After they become aware of how cybercriminals infiltrate networks and systems, they’re more likely to pay closer attention to what they click on or open. Use your employees as your first line of defense.
Eavesdropping on targets. Eavesdropping is one of the more common ways cybercriminals use VoIP systems to gather information on their targets, including login credentials, names, and phone numbers. If your calls aren’t encrypted, hackers can easily gain access to them and listen in. Many cybercriminals eavesdrop to not only steal the identities of end-users but VoIP services outright. What happens when cyber criminals gain access to your VoIP solution? Simple — you end up paying for it. Once hackers have infiltrated your VoIP system, they can make unauthorized long-distance calls. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, monitor your bills for any unexpected increases in costs.
Vishing? What’s that? You’ve probably heard of phishing but not vishing. Vishing is phishing over the phone instead of via email. To trick their targets into giving up sensitive data, cybercriminals frequently use what’s known as caller ID spoofing, enabling them to hide their identities when calling their targets. VoIP providers make it easy for these scammers to deceive their victims by allowing them to configure their caller ID display numbers. These hackers can then use the details they obtain to target others using your system.
Being aware of how cybercriminals hack VoIP systems is the first step to protecting your business from the ever-evolving threat landscape.
