8 Cybersecurity Tips For Your VoIP System

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) enhances productivity, reduces phone costs, and scales with your company’s growth. However, VoIP systems, like other internet-connected devices, are vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

Securing your system is crucial, and you can do this alone or hire experts like KM Tech for award-winning IT Support and cybersecurity solutions as you focus on other activities that can add more value to your business.

With that in mind, here are eight cybersecurity tips for your VoIP system:

Update Your System Frequently

One of the best and simplest ways to protect your VoIP network is to update it regularly. An outdated system creates security gaps that hackers can exploit to enter your system and steal confidential data or introduce viruses. Luckily, frequent updates can reduce security vulnerabilities. For instance, it may lower the possibility of attackers using techniques such as eavesdropping to strike the weaknesses in your network.

Moreover, regularly updating your VoIP infrastructure boosts its performance, enabling seamless communication in your company. Consider the case of one company that experienced a significant data breach because their VoIP system was not updated regularly. Hackers exploited a known vulnerability in an older version of the system, leading to the loss of sensitive data.

Use Strong Passwords And Two-Factor Authentication

Cybercriminals can easily guess weak passwords like your name, business address, or pet name. Therefore, you should create strong passwords that limit unauthorized persons from infiltrating your network and locking you out or changing your settings. Establish a password management policy that offers guidelines to your employees on how to create strong passwords. This policy can also outline how to protect passwords. For instance, a small business used the company’s address as its VoIP system password. Cybercriminals were able to easily guess this password, leading to unauthorized access to the system.

On top of that, using two-factor authentication provides an additional layer of protection. Anyone who signs into your infrastructure should provide two unique forms of identification to gain access to it. This ensures that all people who log into your network are authorized users only.

Educate Your Team Members

Your staff can be a weak link to cyber threats as they may unknowingly expose your company’s data to attackers. For example, they may leave devices containing sensitive information lying around, use weak passwords, or use unsecured data storage. Therefore, training them in cybersecurity is crucial. Let them know the effects of cyber threats on your organization and the importance of protecting their data. Additionally, teach them the various VoIP security risks, how they occur, and how they can identify them.

Moreover, educating your staff on the various suspicious activities in your security awareness training enables them to be vigilant, watch, and report them whenever they spot them. That way, you can take an early remedy, protecting your system against cyber threats. For instance, this company faced a security breach when an employee unknowingly shared sensitive login credentials over an unsecured network. This incident highlighted the importance of comprehensive cybersecurity training for all team members.

Disable The Phone Web Interface

A critical yet frequently neglected component of VoIP security is the web interface of the phone. The web interface of the phone, a frequently neglected component of VoIP security, can be a prime target for hackers. Therefore, it’s generally advised to completely deactivate your phone’s web interface. Then, you can reactivate it later to adjust specific settings.

Frequently Review Your Call Logs

In addition to call logs providing you with information about your employees’ performance, they can also let you identify potential security dangers that may be occurring. For instance, the IT team noticed an unusual pattern of long-duration calls to an unfamiliar international number while reviewing their call logs. This prompted an investigation that revealed an attempted security breach. Check your call analytics for unusual call durations and destinations to determine where there might be gaps or misuse. Also, examine all outliers to determine if there’s anything more than it.

Close Port 80 With A Firewall

A port can be understood as a gateway for internet connectivity. Port 80, responsible for managing HTTP traffic, is vulnerable to hacker intrusions. Shutting down Port 80 using a firewall adds an additional layer of security to your VoIP network infrastructure. This action contributes an additional layer of security to your VoIP network infrastructure.

Develop A Crisis Management Plan

Another crucial cybersecurity strategy for your VoIP network is to set up a crisis management plan. This plan enables you to identify threats early. It also lets you draft the steps you can take in case of a security breach. It can be informing the relevant parties, thorough inspection, or disconnecting the impacted system. For instance, when a security breach was detected in their VoIP system, their pre-established crisis management plan allowed them to quickly isolate the affected system, inform relevant parties, and minimize the damage. By developing a plan, you can lower the damage and effects of security attacks on your organization. Furthermore, it prepares you on how to manage potential risks.

Utilize VoIP Data Encryption

One of the most common risks linked to VoIP communications is eavesdropping. Criminals may use this approach to nose around your calls and steal audio data from live conversations. They can obtain private data such as login credentials, call source, and bank details. Also, attackers can tamper with your calls.

VoIP encryption adjusts voice data packets into undeciphered forms during communications. This safeguards confidential information and ensures hackers will not decipher if they intercept it. VoIP encryption uses secure real-time transport protocol (SRTP) that employs advanced encryption standards (AES) on data packets, offering call authentication and security from attacks.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity threats have tremendously increased, with cyber criminals finding more advanced ways to attack organizations. Therefore, setting up tight security measures for your VoIP infrastructure is essential. Use the above tips to secure your system and prevent attackers from accessing your confidential information. Consider hiring IT professionals for better solutions.