| The growth of security threats to systems | | | | 5. How do you install patches and is there a cost |
| accompanies the growth of VoIP services that | | | | involved in it? |
| provide you with a very convenient and cost effective | | | | Upgrade of VoIP services may bear unnecessary |
| tool for placing and receiving calls over the internet. To | | | | costs on you. Ask prospective vendors about |
| ensure safety of your conversations and information, it | | | | distribution of patches and how their systems can be |
| is necessary to find a provider who can handle the | | | | integrated with your company's own software update |
| various security threats and potential problems. Here | | | | protocol to keep costs at a minimum. |
| are a few questions you should ask prospective VoIP | | | | 6. Can the stolen VoIP routers be disabled remotely? |
| service providers to ensure selection of the right | | | | A stolen VoIP router can create tremendous problems |
| service for your company and prevent security | | | | for your business through information leaks. Ask VoIP |
| breaches. | | | | providers about how they deal with stolen routers and |
| 1. Is VoIP service vulnerable to a DNS attack? | | | | whether they can be disabled remotely to keep your |
| Denial of service attacks can clog VoIP servers | | | | account information safe and intact. Never opt for a |
| denying service to other users. Professional VoIP | | | | service that cannot guarantee security of your |
| service providers protect against such attacks by | | | | confidential information. |
| using firewalls, redundant servers, and around-the-clock | | | | 7. For added security, is it possible to make calls |
| monitoring. | | | | through the VPN? |
| 2. Can VoIP calls be intercepted by hackers? | | | | If you need to keep your phone conversations private |
| Though not significant, there are always chances of | | | | even from the phone company, opt for a service |
| hackers listening to your telephone conversations over | | | | provider who allows you to call through virtual private |
| the internet. To protect you from malicious | | | | networks. However, keeping all data within VPNs |
| eavesdropping, your VoIP service provider should use | | | | entails additional hardware and software expenses. |
| encryption tools. | | | | 8. Is the VoIP Service vulnerable to Fraudsters and |
| 3. If you use Encryption, does it Reduce Call Quality? | | | | impersonators? |
| Processing time increases with encryption. The more | | | | Scammers can hijack calls and impersonate customer |
| difficult the encryption, the greater will the audio | | | | service representatives to collect personal account |
| distractions like jitter, echo, and latency, on your call. | | | | information. Hackers may acquire access to an open |
| Your VoIP service providers should adopt hardware | | | | port and re-sell minutes of your company's VoIP |
| and software solutions that make encryption | | | | account. To prevent these issues from creeping up, |
| transparent to service users. | | | | your service provider must regularly monitor VoIP |
| 4. How Do You Test VoIP Services Software against | | | | service usage looking out for unusual activity or packet |
| vulnerability to hacker attack? | | | | routing to countries with few known clients. |
| To ensure creation of VoIP systems that will stand | | | | Even after hiring a voip service, it is important to |
| against attack from hackers, the systems must be | | | | ensure that you receive sufficient and upgraded |
| tested by security experts for shortcomings and | | | | security that can cope with newer safety threats over |
| potential problems. Reputed vendors combine in-house | | | | the internet. Create and maintain strong relationships |
| testing and research with outside testing of VoIP | | | | with account representatives. Additionally, stay |
| systems, by security professional and specialists, to | | | | informed, keep in touch with your service providers |
| create highly secure systems for you. | | | | and regularly check vendor blogs. |