VoIP Security Best Practices: Keep Your Calls Safe and Private

Internet-based communication systems have become increasingly popular across businesses and organizations due to their numerous advantages.

However, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems also carry significant security risks if not properly protected, potentially exposing your entire communication network.

This is where VoIP Security becomes critical. Common security problems facing companies include eavesdropping, hacking attempts, and denial-of-service attacks that can disrupt or disable the network. If hackers successfully breach your internal network, it can cause significant damage to both your infrastructure and your company’s reputation.

In this article, we’ll explain VoIP Security principles, the types of threats you face, and how to protect your company’s communication systems.

Using Denial of Service (DoS) attacks targeting IP Phones, Routers, and communication endpoints such as SIP and Gateways. The attacker sends massive fake requests to communication devices, forcing the communication controller to reject them to the point where it cannot fulfill legitimate subscription requests, resulting in service disruption.

Attackers use network scanning software to discover internet communication gateways such as SIP ports and monitor them to identify caller and recipient numbers, device types, and media stream ports to capture audio. These programs also allow attackers to impersonate others, using known phone numbers and organization names to deceive those being called.

Used to make international or external calls. The attacker monitors an organization’s communication devices to learn user numbers and passwords, then uses them to make external calls through your communication devices.

This type of attack is very similar to email spam. Just as email inboxes fill with promotional messages from unknown sources, numerous automated voice messages can be sent to users’ voicemail.

Never use internet communication devices with their default factory settings, as passwords and ports are easy to crack and discover, making them easy to hack. You must change the settings to your company’s specific configurations.

You should virtually separate your company’s data networks from voice networks using VLAN technology. This provides voice protection and prevents attackers from discovering voice networks.

All modern communication devices allow you to encrypt calls. Using encryption makes it very difficult for hackers to decode, enabling you to protect your communications and data.

All communication devices in your company that work directly on the internet should be placed behind a firewall. The firewall will only open the ports you use and can identify users, their locations, etc., allowing you to protect the network effectively.

To properly protect your communication network, you need to set up a good monitoring system for any suspicious activities on your internal network. For example, you can configure the monitoring system to alert you when someone attempts to hack a specific port or change a specific password. You can also get early warning by inspecting all your communication traffic, scanning, analyzing, and classifying data packets so they can be managed securely and controlling packets containing anonymous or malicious code.

Update your company’s VoIP products regularly and follow the manufacturer’s periodic bulletins in case new vulnerabilities appear. Manufacturers periodically release updates to patch discovered vulnerabilities and improve device efficiency.

XonTel is a leader in internet communication security. Its products are among the best devices with strong protection measures and the ability to encrypt all communications between all types of phones available from XonTel. It develops the latest firewall systems to provide maximum possible protection for all users and customers.

For more information about XonTel’s services and products click here

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