Top 9 VoIP Security Threats & Cyberattacks Threatening Businesses
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Marianne is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who covers business phone services, VoIP, and video conferencing tools.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
A vulnerable voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) leaves your business wide open to cybersecurity threats, especially when making calls outside your company’s internal infrastructure. From malware, viruses, packet sniffing, phreaking, and war dialing, these security threats will take a serious toll on your profitability, reputation, and private data. To prevent security breaches, learn about the different VoIP security attacks and how to combat them.
1. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attacks
As the name suggests, this attack is specifically designed to prevent businesses from using their VoIP services. DDoS happens by intentionally overloading the server and depriving it of resources to disrupt the phone service—leading to poor uptime, latency, and call quality. The common signs of DDoS attacks include odd traffic patterns and slowed service.
DDoS attacks are caused by remotely controlled “zombie computers” that make up a network of “botnets.” The attacker will direct its attacks by sending instructions to the group of bots. When a network or server is attacked by the botnet, the bot sends requests to the victim’s internet protocol (IP) address, causing the network or service to be overwhelmed.
How to Protect Your Business
To mitigate a DDoS attack, it’s important to have a separate internet connection purely for VoIP traffic. This will prevent attacks on your general systems from affecting your VoIP solution. Also, use encryption and a virtual private network (VPN) to authenticate your VoIP environment.
2. Vishing
Vishing is VoIP-based phishing aimed at targeting specific users by using an unsuspecting caller ID. The scammer uses a caller ID that appears from a legitimate source. This is done with the intent to convince the caller to provide sensitive information, such as passwords, internet IP network, or bank details.
Some of the likely signs of vishing attacks include unexpected calls from a reputable company, unusual caller ID, or extreme urgency of the caller. Once the scammer obtains private information, this leads to security breaches in your organization.
How to Protect Your Business
One way to avoid vishing attacks is to verify phone requests by asking for proof of identity. If they mentioned a legitimate company during the call, contact its customer support to verify if the caller ID used is their official phone number. Also, be on the lookout for language that takes advantage of human behaviors of trust, greed, fear, and charitable intentions.
Additionally, take time to train employees on security awareness on vishing prevention to prevent them from disclosing private information during calls unless supervised.
3. Packet Sniffing
Packet sniffing was originally developed to examine the quality of telephone lines carrying internet data and detect packet data flowing across a network. However, cybercriminals soon discovered how to manipulate the technology to carry out their attacks on small and medium-sized businesses. Today, packet sniffing is one of the most common VoIP attacks that enables hackers to record and steal unencrypted information in voice data packets while in transit.
Packet sniffing works by preventing voice data packets from reaching their destination. Cybercriminals intentionally drop packets in data streams to take full control of the company router, leading to loss of connection or slow network service.
How to Protect Your Business
To protect your internet connection from packet sniffing, use reliable VoIP and VPN solutions when making calls or sending private information. While this will take a lot of time to deploy, this will ensure that company information remains secure. Another way is to find a VoIP provider that offers end-to-end encryption and network monitoring to keep you updated on suspicious devices and unfamiliar login attempts.
Looking for the best and most reliable VoIP solution? Check out our guide on the best VoIP solutions for small business owners. We provided an in-depth evaluation of the top seven most reliable phone services to protect your business from different kinds of VoIP attacks.
4. Malware & Virus Threats
Malware and viruses are among the biggest threats to network security systems. Internet-based solutions, like VoIP, experience network security issues, such as signal congestion and network bandwidth consumption. These problems potentially lead to the breakdown of VoIP calls, call tampering, data corruption, packet loss, and Trojan virus attacks.
Virus attacks happen when attackers use various malicious software to access personal or business contact information. This opens many opportunities to enter your network and extract sensitive company data.
How to Protect Your Business
Deploy data security protocols, such as encryption and regular network inspections. While router malware is rare, consider using routers with malware protection or installing antivirus software with router security features. You may also implement hardware firewalls and VoIP-compatible software that actively scans information. These security tools will continuously block harmful sites to your network and detect vulnerabilities that cause hackers to break in.
5. SPIT (Spam Over IP Technology)
SPIT is the voice version of spamming containing prerecorded messages sent over a VoIP system. Also known as “robocalls,” these calls or voicemails carry potential risks, such as viruses and malware. Since every VoIP account comes with an IP address, it’s easy for spammers to make thousands of calls to various IP addresses while disguising themselves as a genuine phone number when they actually originated from different countries.
Answering or listening to a robocall will redirect the recipient to an expensive international phone number or a message that carries spyware or viruses along with them.
How to Protect Your Business
While it’s impossible to completely prevent SPIT attacks, having a firewall and a reliable VoIP solution will ensure the spam won’t damage and overwhelm your phone system. You may also consider a voicemail management tool to prevent spam calls from clogging your voicemail.
6. Phreaking
Phreaking is a portmanteau of the words “phone” and “freak,” which refers to the use of audio frequencies to manipulate phone systems. It is a type of fraud where cybercriminals infiltrate your VoIP system to change call plans, add account credits, and make long-distance calls, while passing all the costs into your account. Additionally, phreaking aims to steal billing information, access voice mail, and reconfigure call routing strategies.
Phreaking works when hackers call your business phone system and enter a PIN number to access an external line, allowing them to charge their inbound calls to your account. If there’s a sudden increase in phone bills and unknown numbers in your call history, you are likely a victim of phreaking.
How to Protect Your Business
The best way to avoid phreaking is to change your account password regularly, avoid saving billing information in your browser, and use ransomware protection software. If you’re using a session initiation protocol (SIP) trunking service, it is recommended you encrypt your SIP trunks to protect your cloud data.
7. War Dialing
War dialing is the act of dialing a large volume of phone numbers to find devices of interest, whether it is a fax machine, modem, or phone system. The process works by using a computer program to do a mechanized scanning of a preset list of phone numbers looking for data devices. Once the hacker detects a device with a poorly secured access point, it will attempt to break into the system to access the network.
How to Protect Your Business
One of the best ways to prevent war dialing is to disable modems that are not in use. You have the choice to war dial your company during work hours or off-hours to find open and rogue modems. Another way is to do an inventory of your data devices and disable the ones that are no longer in use. If there are still active modems or data devices, require the use of usernames and strong passwords and enable the callback function.
8. Toll Fraud
International Revenue Sharing Fraud (IRSF), also known as toll fraud, simply refers to the unauthorized use of long-distance services. When a hacker infiltrates a vulnerable phone system, it enables them to make several international calls using your business phone system. They make calls to premium rate numbers in order to get a portion of the money generated from these calls.
How to Protect Your Business
End-users play an important role in protecting a company against toll fraud. The first step is to enforce a password policy for all extensions. Whether remote or on-site, recommend all employees enable two-factor authentication on their accounts, provide a list of allowed countries to contact, and establish rate limits on call duration and concurrent calls.
9. VOMIT (Voice Over Misconfigured Internet Telephone)
Voice Over Misconfigured Internet Telephone, also known as VOMIT, is a VoIP hacking technique that extracts confidential data and voice packets directly from calls. VOMIT works by eavesdropping on phone calls and converting phone conversations into files straight from your business phone system. This makes it easy to obtain company information, including usernames, passwords, bank details, phone numbers, and call origin.
How to Protect Your Business
To protect your VoIP system from VOMIT attacks, use a cloud-based VoIP system with the latest call encryption techniques. One example is 8×8, a cloud-based unified communication tool that uses data-in-motion encryption and fully secure data centers. Another technique is to set up a private branch exchange (PBX) network since it’s more secure than a public telephone network.
VoIP Security Accreditations & Encryptions
In business phone systems, an accredited VoIP provider meets the standards set by global compliance programs. These include the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). However, it’s worth noting that there are other types of compliance programs, depending on your industry sector or business type.
Encryption, on the other hand, is a tool used to prevent voice data packets from being intercepted by hackers. Unencrypted VoIP networks are vulnerable to hacking and data breaches. By contrast, encrypted data will be useless to anyone who records and intercepts data in transit.
If you want to learn more about data encryption and how it works, check out our article about at-rest and in-transit encryption. We included a discussion on the two types of data encryption and how to implement them for optimized protection.
VoIP Security Best Practices
Across many industries, cybersecurity risks are top of mind for business leaders. In a survey report by JPMorgan, almost half of organizations surveyed revealed that malware and ransom threats are their greatest cybersecurity threat. Meanwhile, 23% are threatened by payment frauds, which targeted several businesses in 2019.
Many small business owners are still wary about switching to VoIP systems because of the security risks involved. While there is no foolproof way to completely avoid such risks, there are plenty of ways to keep those hackers out. Let’s take a look at the best practices for VoIP security:
Implement Strong Passwords
Enforcing a strong password policy in the workplace is important to ensure hackers won’t access your messages, calls, and customer data through employee accounts. When setting up passwords, require your employees to use a combination of numbers, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase letters. It is also good practice to remind employees to change passwords at least every three months.
In other companies, two-factor authentication (2FA) is mandatory for all users, regardless of the device they are using. It offers a second form of identification that significantly reduces the chances of hackers gaining access to your company’s devices.
Only Use Secure Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi is a major breeding ground for cybersecurity attacks since viruses and malware easily spread over unsecured networks. One reason is that it doesn’t offer encryption for using the same hotspot and password. More importantly, providing personal information is like setting yourself up for bigger problems, such as frauds and scams. Using public Wi-Fi is not safe for viewing emails, performing financial transactions, and confidential browsing.
Conduct Security Audits Frequently
The most effective way to prevent malware and virus attacks is to audit your VoIP network. VoIP systems have a lot of moving parts that significantly impact company security. Every aspect of your VoIP system, including the devices, protocol, software, and network, must be audited in terms of security. Security audits effectively detect security gaps, assess VoIP gateways, and implement solutions to mitigate security risks.
Keep Your Systems Updated
While most VoIP solutions come with automatic software updates, making sure your business communication tools are up to date goes a long way toward preventing security threats to your VoIP system.
System updates contain security updates, patches, and protection against threats you don’t even know exist. Consider using a VoIP firewall, firmware, or an intrusion prevention system for an added layer of security. Given the importance of system updates, encourage users to run operating system updates on their computers and smartphones to avoid exploits and malicious software.
Set Up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for Remote Employees
A virtual private network (VPN) provides an added layer of security by hiding your location and IP address from your internet service provider—allowing you to use the internet anonymously. VPN works using an encrypted tunnel that enables users to transmit and receive data securely. It secures all traffic wherever the user works, making it a perfect security solution for remote workers.
In a VoIP environment, a VPN protects calls over wireless networks and reroutes the data through a VPN provider’s private server.
Restrict Private Calls
Restrict your employees from making private calls using the company line. Grant access to international calling unless you have overseas clients and partners. For added measure, use your VoIP system’s call analytics feature to examine the company’s recent call logs and detect unusual calling trends and activities.
Deploy Remote Device Management
Mobile VoIP solutions are ideal for companies with remote and hybrid teams. With remote device management (RDM), it’s easy for IT administrators to access, control, and monitor remote devices from a centralized location. Despite having employees working in different locations, RDM software troubleshoots issues and protects data against malicious threats.
Educate Staff About Security Protocols
VoIP users are the first line of defense against any fraudulent activity in your business. Thus, it’s important to educate your employees on how your phone system works, how to spot VoIP security threats, and the best security practices.
Train users on how to spot common cybersecurity risks and phone scams, such as vishing, malware, and DDoS attacks, whether they’re using landlines or any computer device. Implement policies on what type of details should be disclosed during phone calls. As new security threats emerge, it’s essential to update training content to address potential attacks as well.
Most Secure VoIP Providers
The best VoIP service provider understands the importance of VoIP security and customer data. They also have a good reputation and reliability to offer superior encryption and security features, such as end-to-end encryption, fraud mitigation, and call logging. Fortunately, we rounded up the top four VoIP service providers known for their numerous accreditation and encryption capabilities.
RingCentral is a cloud-based VoIP platform for managing communications through voice, video, voicemail, and text. Its platform serves as a data controller and processor for different processing activities. RingCentral also relies on the guidelines approved by the European Commission to provide additional safeguards for customer data. These include customer data transfer agreement, data transfer risk assessment, and international data transfer.
As of writing, RingCentral is compliant with several global certifications, such as ISO 270001 Certification, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA. It has a 99.999% uptime and conducts independent security audits annually. To learn more about this VoIP provider, read our RingCentral review.
When it comes to security, Nextiva stands out for its world-class network reliability and security. It is one of the best business phone systems known for its powerful communication features, such as visual voicemail, call screening, and three-way calling.
With its carrier-grade data centers, Nextiva boasts of its 99.999% uptime and reduced downtime for your business. Its physical security includes 24/7 monitoring, disaster planning, biometric checkpoints, and an audited data center based on ISO certification. Check out our Nextiva review to learn about the pricing plans and feature sets offered by this provider.
GoTo Connect is a unified communication software with video conferencing features and unlimited overseas calling. As part of the GoTo suite of communications solutions, GoTo Connect’s mission is to give customers the peace of mind that their data is kept private. Some of its security tools include enterprise single sign-on, risk-based authentication, password protection, and meeting lock.
GoTo Connect is also committed to keeping up to date with the latest industry standards, such as HIPAA, Service Organization Control (SOC 2), and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If you want to know more about GoTo Connect UC offerings, check out our GoTo Connect review.
8×8 is a VoIP solution that offers a variety of cloud-based communication products, such as a business phone, contact center, and an open integration framework. This provider takes pride in its numerous accreditations from leading certification bodies, such as HIPAA, ISO, and Consumer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI). When it comes to securing data, 8×8 offers fraud protection and is independently audited annually.
To learn if 8×8 is a good fit for your business, take a look at our 8×8 review.
Want to know the latest trends in the VoIP industry? Check out our article about VoIP news and discover what to expect this year among popular business phone providers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are VoIP phone systems more secure than landlines?
Both landline and VoIP systems are at risk of being compromised, but more companies are leaning toward VoIP systems when it comes to security features. VoIP uses end-to-end encryption, which means data transmission is more secure against unauthorized use than the traditional landline phone.
An encrypted VoIP prevents hackers from intercepting data while in transit. VoIP systems also use robust security tools, such as multifactor authentication and virtual private networks.
How often should a business security plan be updated?
Ideally, a business security plan needs to be updated at least once a year. Your company’s security plan plays a significant role in protecting your business from data and financial losses. Doing this will increase the chances of staying compliant with laws and regulations and minimize the risk of VoIP security threats.
What is end-to-end encryption?
End-to-end encryption is a reliable method for securing digital information. It is the process of using an algorithm or encryption keys to scramble data into an unreadable format. This is done to secure the line of communication against unauthorized third-party users.
Bottom Line
Security threats are an inevitable part of the VoIP ecosystem, but there are ways to mitigate their impactful consequences. Committing to the right VoIP service provider and following the best security practices make a huge difference in learning how to deal with different VoIP threats and attacks, such as malware and viruses.
If you’re planning to switch to unified communications (UC) for your business phone system, read our guide on unified communications security. We discussed different ways to protect data through encryption and the reasons UC security is necessary for your business.
