Protect VoIP Against Eavesdropping: The Ultimate Guide To Encryption
Among many other threats that VoIP phone systems face. Eavesdropping is the most common and severe security threat to the VoIP phone calls. The calls made through the system are open to hackers who illegally gain access to the system and listen to the conversation between the organization and its prospects. Eavesdropping brings devastating consequences for both businesses and personal users.
The VoIP phone systems offer seamless communication between the sender and receivers over the internet. The data is later transformed into data packets using encryption. The cybercriminals gain illegal access to the system and start listening to the calls and other vital organizational secrets. Thus making it a very challenging situation for both business and users.
Which Technology Can Be Used To Protect VoIP Against Eavesdropping?
The most common question among security personnel nowadays is: Which security control is most helpful in protecting against eavesdropping? For this reason, we have compiled quite a list of those more interested in keeping their organizations safe from cybercriminals.
- 1. Encryption
- 2. Passwords
- 3. VPN
- 4. Hosted VoIP
- 5. VoIP Calls
- 6. Firewalls
- 7. Public Hotspots
- 8. Authentication
- 9. Session Border
- 10. Controllers
- 11. System Updates
- 12. Sharing Information
- 13. Default Setup Settings
- 14. Educate Users
- 15. Monitor Call Logs
- 16. Network Monitoring
- 17. Train Employees
- 18. Security Gateway
Encryption
One of the weakest links in the security chain is encryption. If it is not up to the mark, your organization is frequently vulnerable to external threats. Encryption secures all of your transmitted data into data packets. Thus, it is accessible to authorized personnel. The dependence on encryption protocol is based on the organization’s security requirements. There are three main types of Voip encryption.
- 1. Transport Layer Security or TLS
- 2. AES-256
- 3. Secure Real-time Transport Protocol or SRTP
Transport Layer Security or TLS
Transport Layer Security, or TLS, offers a protocol that secures the signaling channel. Thus safeguarding user authentication and call setup information.
AES-256
It is a robust encryption algorithm that offers protection against unauthorized decryption attempts.
Secure Real-time Transport Protocol or SRTP
The secure Real-time Transport Protocol, or SRTP, is a barrier between real-time media streams. This technology ensures the safety of the actual voice data in transit. Thus making it more secure by keeping the confidentiality and integrity of the system intact.
Passwords
The second most common issue among organizations is that they never change their login credentials. This is the primary reason businesses are more prone to cyber-attacks. Changing passwords and usernames not only ensures the safety of your system but also reduces cyber threats significantly.
VPN
Virtual private networks offer a secure and safe passage for the VoIP traffic. It acts like a shield that protects the organization from eavesdroppers. This system offers encryption of the data packets that are transmitted outside. Thus ensuring the system is safe and secure for the users and for communicating.
Hosted VoIP
Hosted VoIP phone service providers offer the services of VoIP security personnel to work for your organization. These experts are known to have complete knowledge of the system and know how to respond to the challenges that arise due to acts of cybercriminals.
VoIP Calls
VoIP phone system uses the internet to transmit call data. This data is converted into data packets. These data packets contain sensitive information for both organizations and their clients. If these data packets are intercepted by cybercriminals, they can listen to the information concealed in them.
Encryption is used to prevent this catastrophe from happening. There are many protocols that we have discussed in this list that ensure the safety of your data packets. Any organization can use them to ensure data safety.
Firewalls
Firewalls are the most trusted and secure defense against cyber-attacks. These firewalls protect against any unauthorized access to the system. Firewalls are responsible for monitoring all the incoming and outgoing data from the system. In addition, these systems are less prone to attacks and prevent eavesdropping attempts thanks to the security of firewalls.
Public Hotspots
Free public hotspots pose severe threats to the VoIP phone system. These hotspots are the main targets of hackers who set their illegal software to monitor everyone’s internet activity once connected to any public internet. The IT department must issue a warning to the employees who use their office systems when they are not in the office.
It is recommended that these workers should use their personal internet connections in order to use their company VoIP phone service outside the boundary of their office. If there is no secure internet, they should refrain from sending sensitive information pertaining to the system.
Authentication
In this authentication step, users are encouraged to implement authentication protocols. These authentication protocols not only ensure the safety of the system but also allow users to adopt two-step authentication when entering their passwords into the system.
Session Border Controllers
VoIP phone system antivirus software is connected to your system’s SBCs. Once you update it, the system will be ready to offer protection against known types of malware.
These controllers make sure that the incoming calls are not routed from any of the malicious VoIP servers. In eavesdropping, these malicious VoIP servers penetrate the system and gain access to secure files and data.
System Updates
Regular system updates make your system less vulnerable to hackers bypassing security protocols because cybercriminals constantly move to enter the system using its weak spots. VoIP phone service providers regularly release security patches and updates to upgrade the system against threats.
Applying and updating the system strengthens your system and prevents outsiders from illegally accessing the system.
Sensitive Information
By law, sharing information relating to the system or organization is a crime. The information related to any system is sensitive and contains confidential data relating to the organization and its clients.
Setup Settings
The most common issue VoIP phone service providers face is that organizations do not change their default system settings from the system. It is recommended that you change the default setup settings of your VoIP system right after you gain access to the system. Cybercriminals, by using the user manual, gain access to the organizations using usernames and passwords.
Additionally, it is recommended by the service providers to change the usernames and passwords instantly. Moreover, the recommended password setting from the service provider is to use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, along with the numbers, to create a challenging password pattern.
Educate Users
Educating users and employees plays a vital role in securing the organization’s security. When users are well aware that they can help make the system secure, it becomes more beneficial and lessens the load on the IT department.
Call Logs
Every organization must monitor the call logs made in and outside the organization. This not only lets the IT department keep an eye on the phone system but also helps them to take corrective measures against cyber threats. Moreover, keeping an eye on the call logs will allow you to instigate the traffic source towards your organization deeply. In case any phishing source appears, the IT department can take corrective measures promptly.
Network Monitoring
Another significant aspect for the IT department is to regularly monitor the overall network of the organization and the VoIP phone system. This ensures the safety and security of the system. Above all, it can mitigate the potential damage and threats, making the system less vulnerable to these cyber-attacks.
Update Software
Regular security audits by the IT department are a must. This allows them to keep an eye on the overall network, especially the VoIP phone system. Updating the software not only allows them to keep the system up-to-date with the latest security practices. By doing so, they successfully reduce the risks associated with eavesdropping.
Train Employees
Every organization needs to train its employees so that they know the risks attached to cyber-attacks. The IT department must teach them not to share their passwords or confidential information with anyone inside or outside the organization. Furthermore, the IT department must arrange regular sessions to inform the employees about the latest threats to the system and how to avoid those by not responding to them and informing the IT department promptly.
Security Gateway
The security gateway allows you to set up a firewall and install intrusion detection and prevention systems for your network and VoIP phone system. This system not only protects your network but also monitors the overall traffic to your system.
Among many other threats that VoIP phone systems face. Eavesdropping is the most common and severe security threat to the VoIP phone calls. The calls made through the system are open to hackers who illegally gain access to the system and listen to the conversation between the organization and its prospects. Eavesdropping brings devastating consequences for both businesses and personal users.
The VoIP phone systems offer seamless communication between the sender and receivers over the internet. The data is later transformed into data packets using encryption. The cybercriminals gain illegal access to the system and start listening to the calls and other vital organizational secrets. Thus making it a very challenging situation for both business and users.
VoIP Eavesdropping: How Hackers gain access to your Network
There are a few weak spots in defending the network from cyberattacks. Hackers gain access to the data packets and are responsible for recording and decoding the complete conversation in the VoIP phone system. Here are three of the most common factors that allow hackers to access the system without any issue.
- 1. Remote Offices
- 2. Insecure Networks
- 3. Passwords
- 4. Settings
Remote Offices
Remote offices are among the main factors that allow hackers to gain illegal access to the system. This factor is because IT teams are based in the head office and have less control over the remote office. The network security policies implemented by the IT department in the head office cannot be implemented to the fullest in remote offices.
Insecure Networks
Many networks are not protected by the end-to-end encryption. This makes them insecure networks. Thus, it becomes very convenient for hackers to gain access to data packets, and from there, they can access the system.
Passwords
Strong passwords are crucial to making the system more secure and less vulnerable to cybercriminals. IT departments focus on creating strong and two-stage authentication passwords so that no one can gain access to the system.
Settings
After passwords settings for the system are another critical factor in making the system vulnerable to hackers. When an IT department of the organization sets the default settings to the system, it allows the hackers a weak spot to gain access to the system. Changing the default settings and making it more secure using third-party software not only ensures the overall safety of the system but also prevents illegal access to the system.
FAQs
- Which technology can be used to protect VoIP against eavesdropping?
A VPN is used to protect VoIP against eavesdropping. VPNs are a secure, encrypted form that protects your traffic. It adds an additional shield to protect your organization’s communication from eavesdroppers.
- What is VoIP eavesdropping?
VoIP eavesdropping is a vulnerability in VoIP software. These vulnerabilities are exploited by hackers to gain illegal access to the system call records and other vital information.
- Can VoIP calls be monitored?
VoIP phone calls can be monitored and traced back using the VoIP number. However, the tracking process for VoIP phone calls is not easy compared to the traditional phone system.
- What is the most secure VoIP?
There are a number of VoIP phone service providers that offer the most secure VoIP phones to their clients. The names of these VoIP phone service providers are
- RingCentral
- Google Voice
- Vonage
- 8×8
- What is the best defense against eavesdropping?
The best defense against eavesdropping is to secure the system using enterprise-grade encryption. In addition, encryption using a virtual private network (VPN) has the ability to encrypt the data between sender and receiver.
- Can police listen to VoIP calls?
Yes, police can listen to the calls made over VoIP phone systems. However, it totally depends upon the service provider whether they grant permission along with access to the data.
- How can you tell if someone is using VoIP?
There are a number of items that can trace VoIP phone system calls. For example, incoming calls using an unfamiliar area code or containing multiple zeros. In addition, the calls contain random digits, which are the numbers that are using the VoIP phone system.
