Switching your telephone network to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has several visible advantages, including improved connection, considerable cost savings, and a more centralized system (VoIP). And, as a result of your actions, your company is most likely reaping its benefits.

When you use Telnum’s platform, you can be confident that your data is safe from any dangers and that you can simply enjoy the benefits of Voice over Internet Protocol conversations without any worries.

However, what they most likely did not tell you about VoIP was the cybersecurity concerns.

The purpose of this post is to provide you with an overview of six of the most frequent cybersecurity dangers that you and your company should be aware of.

1. Denial of Service (DoS) attacks

As we will explore in this post, many of the current cybersecurity concerns are only feasible because of advances in technology and software. DoS assaults, on the other hand, do not need a high level of technical skill. It is one of the most severe problems because they are also highly low-cost to run.

Anyone with a small amount of money and minimal technological competence may launch a distributed denial of service (DDoS) assault.

A large number of Session Initial Protocol (SIP) call-signaling messages will be sent to your VoIP server by hackers. And they don’t even have to get into your entire network to do so.

Instead, these messages swamp your VoIP server with unfinished requests, consuming all of the available bandwidth on your network connection. Because of the volume of traffic, your system will slow down and, in extreme circumstances, may completely halt.

DoS assaults have grown so familiar and disruptive that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have issued alerts to the public about the dangers that may be present. Despite this, you might be shocked to hear that hackers aren’t simply interested in large networks of computers.

It turns out that no organization is too small to be targeted by a distributed denial-of-service assault. It has already cost established organizations millions of dollars in business interruption and missed opportunities due to the disturbance.  

2. Malware and Viruses

Most of the technology you own is susceptible to infection by viruses and other malicious software. The same is true for VoIP networks.

Your VoIP network is vulnerable to worms, malware, and other infections, just like any other internet application. That’s because you’re utilizing softphones, software that simulates the actions of a phone.

Almost every VoIP system includes softphones, and they’re a popular target along with computer software. These viruses can cause a variety of system errors. To get complete control of a computer system, they will corrupt important data, steal passwords to secure files, and destroy evidence.

Antivirus software must be installed and periodically updated to protect your computer from viruses. It is also crucial to teach your employees, as many viruses are designed to fool people into downloading them.

Additionally, mobile malware is a big problem for VoIP networks. Many people use their cellphones to make VoIP calls when they’re away from their desks. When your smartphone is infected with malware and other dangerous software, it has access to and may steal all kinds of sensitive information. 

3. Vishing

There was no mistake in the wording of this sentence. As with harmful email phishing, the voice-based version is called vishing. Isn’t that clever wordplay? Vishing, on the other hand, is a far more sophisticated tactic that’s utilized daily.

Employees are tricked into believing they are being deceived by fraudsters. However, they may be able to persuade suppliers and even customers to hand up confidential information. It’s common for this type of scam to focus on financial and personal information that may be readily hacked.

Unlike other cybersecurity threats, this one attacks the user rather than the program or hardware. As a result, it’s one of the most challenging threats to avoid because of its unique nature.

Vishing may be used in a variety of ways by hackers.

Typically, these attacks are carried out by email or other electronic means. However, in an account security breach, they will be notified and requested to phone a designated number.

The hacker’s secret VoIP branch will be accessed by dialing that number. A pre-recorded interactive voice response (IVR) mimicking a traditional corporate system will be played. As a result, users will be at risk of leaking personal information such as passwords and PIN numbers.

4. Phreaking

In this article, we’ll go through the first of two VoIP call fraud techniques: phreaking. The ultimate purpose of call fraud is identical to that of vishing: getting access to protected networks and abusing that access once granted.

Phreaking is the act of a hacker gaining access to your company’s VoIP network and using it to their advantage. This sort of fraud is primarily concerned with stealing from the service provider and amassing many pricey network calls.

Hackers will get access to the VoIP service provider’s information to accomplish this. In addition to access codes and account numbers, they’ll be able to record and change other details.

Even worse, they can radically alter the network strategy. Hackers will add credit, delete credit, and modify the service plan to make them possible for the pricey calls that they’re making. Most of this activity will likely go undiscovered until the first extremely high bill is paid out. 

5. Eavesdropping

Eavesdropping is another widespread kind of cybercrime and the second of our call fraud strategies. Additionally, it might be pretty challenging to protect against.

Hackers obtain access to VoIP calls and listen in on them, as the term implies. To begin, they will intercept unencrypted VoIP communication without authorization. Then, it’s simple to tap into audio stream data packets (read VoIP traffic) as they move over the internet. They’ll then turn those packets into phone calls using freely available software.

They then have unrestricted access to a variety of sensitive corporate data. And, to make matters worse, fraudsters may conduct this activity from any place.

Typically, they’ll be listening for employee information and passwords. Perhaps they’ll pick up on account numbers, phone numbers, and other personnel information. The hacker can use this information to access service plans, voicemail, and internal admin portals.

Once cybercriminals have this personal information, identity theft and VoIP service theft are relatively easy to commit. Consider encrypting your VoIP transmissions to safeguard yourself and your business.

6. Spam Over Internet Technology (SPIT)

Increasingly, spam is being sent using VoIP as the technology grows and becomes more widespread. Spam and the internet are inseparable.

Those who have ever sent or received an email will be familiar with spam. Basically, spam is unwanted and unwelcome communication that is not requested. Advertising on a massive scale is the primary goal of spam. However, deadly phishing tactics can also be found in spam. VoIP spam isn’t any different in this respect.

It’s not uncommon for VoIP spam to appear in the guise of a voicemail message. There are two purposes for which the spam you get on your VoIP system is sent:

In the beginning, it might just be an essential marketing tactic. However, your VoIP system voicemail will not look like a straightforward remedy if hundreds or thousands of messages emerge overnight. Using an extensive advertising campaign will take up much of your time. Your voicemail is congested and worthless, to say the least.

It’s also possible that the spam you’re receiving on your voicemail is tied to an online scam. Make sure your company information is not exposed in the process, as well.

Final Thoughts

VoIP is no exception to the rule that you should be aware of possible security threats whenever you use an internet-connected product.