VoIP security threats - how to stop them

Worried your VoIP network is not secure? Take a look how to protect your business from three of the most serious threats to your IP telephony services. Businesses of all sizes adopting IP telephony need to seriously consider its security implications. But while a number of threats exist, three stand out as the most dangerous, particularly to smaller organisations: denial of service, spit and fraud.

Denial of Service:

The most serious threat to VoIP is a distributed denial of service attack. It can affect any internet-connected device and works by flooding networks with spurious traffic or server requests. The attack is generated by machines that have been compromised by a virus or other malware and the massive increase in traffic means the affected servers are unable to process any valid requests and the whole system grinds to a halt. Even small denial of service attacks measure around 2Gbps with large ones in the 17Gbps range. A survey reviles that 7 per cent of PCs on the internet are compromised and in some area 6.8 million machines have been used to send spam.

While few denial of service attacks currently specifically target VoIP systems, the real-time nature of voice traffic means they have a massive impact. Users immediately detect a drop-off in service quality and ultimately their IP handsets stop working. Denial of service would be an extremely effective tool for hackers wanting to bring down an organisation's entire communications system.

Defending networks against denial of service attacks is extremely difficult but enterprises can at least stop their machines from becoming part of the problem. Businesses should use antivirus software and it keep up-to-date, install a firewall and configure it to restrict traffic coming into and leaving the organisation, and use anti-spam tools to cut down on the volume of emailed malware.

Good network practice, such as changing login defaults and using firewalls, can help mitigate the impact of these attacks. In many cases hiring a consultant to do a VoIP-focused security audit will be money very well spent.

Businesses need to look carefully at their VoIP infrastructure and make sure that all unnecessary applications are removed. A good example is the web servers that are built into IP handsets to make them easy to manage remotely. If these are not configured properly then companies may find these actually indexed by Google on the internet. Other applications to be removed include telnet and FTP.


Stopping spit

While the above network vulnerabilities present a very real and present danger to businesses deploying VoIP, media attention has lingered on the potential danger of spam over internet telephony, or spit.

Spam has been a hot topic for several years and unsolicited commercial and malicious email spam now makes up the majority of email worldwide. In Europe in 2006, according to analysts, 16 billion spam messages were sent each day, representing 62 per cent of all European email messages - and this figure will increase to 37 billion spam emails a day by 2010.

The palpable fear is that VoIP will suffer the same fate. Certainly spammers wield enough power and would be enthusiastic adopters of a new voice channel to spread their message. If VoIP suffered the same fate as email, enterprise IP telephony would become unusable.

The problem with VoIP spam is that email anti-spam methods will not work. The potential threat posed by spit is driving vendors to develop alternative anti-spam solutions. NEC has announced a modular tool called VoIP Seal that uses a combination of methods to identify spit. When a call comes in, the system checks to see if the call is potentially a spam call by checking whether it comes from a suspect source.

If it is a suspect call, it is forwarded to an automated system that uses a 'Turing test' to identify whether a caller is a human or a machine. This involves playing an announcement and detecting whether the caller tries to speak over it, for example. Other approaches would be to only allow particular callers through by having the system determine the caller's identity but this could fall victim to spoofing.

Despite the potentially dire consequences there is not much evidence of any actual spit attacks. The main reason for this is that most IP telephony systems are still islands in the sea of public switched telephone network. The vast majority of VoIP calls will pass through the PSTN at some stage because most IP telephony networks are not yet directly interconnected. Forewarned, however, is forearmed, and businesses will need to prepare to extend their anti-spam efforts into voice.

Fighting fraud

One area where malware can pose a serious problem for VoIP users is fraud. The biggest concern for business is probably going to be premium-rate fraud, where a criminal hacks into the VoIP system and makes calls to a premium rate number.

This fraud is not new and PBXs have always been vulnerable to these hacks. The difference is that few people could hack into PBXs, compared to the hordes actively breaking into IP systems.

Though they are likely to be more of a menace to consumers than to businesses, fraud techniques honed in email phishing could be used in voice calls. There is the potential for massive fraud in the early days of voice phishing simply because users still trust telephone messages more than emails. There have already been some clever phishing attacks that use a combination of email and voice to lend credibility to the scam.

One example is an email purporting to be from PayPal that asks users to call a number to verify their account details. There's nothing new about this fraud apart from the use of telephony. Unfortunately the fraudsters are able to make the automated service completely convincing by simply recording the real one. The only way that users can determine that it is fraudulent is by checking the number of they are calling with the real PayPal number. While the security threats for VoIP are real, if businesses take the proper precautions they can be assured their voice communications will be safe.

VoIP Software Helps Make Small Businesses Competitive

Once upon a time VoIP was just a way for the extremely computer savvy to save a few bucks by making computer to computer "phone calls" to a limited circle of friends who were running the same software and had a microphone and a set of speakers or a headphone. Fast forward to modern times where VoIP provides economical phone solutions for consumers from all walks of life and can provide a competitive edge for businesses, especially small businesses. Today's VoIP allows the use of real phones and users can call any phone number in the world using a service such as Skype for a very small fee. Add to that the voice technology software for things like auto-dialers and auto appointment reminders and a small business can really start to get competitive with the big boys.

They always used to say that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer and that has never been truer than in business today. The other old saying that helps to explain this phenomenon says that time is money. Traditionally big businesses with big budgets were the only ones who could afford the time and money saving solutions like auto-dialers and appointment reminders while small businesses were forced to use their already limited manpower resources making endless phone calls, with much of that time spent listening to the phone ringing or busy signals. There is a wide array of VoIP software solutions offered these days that make time-saving and money making phone solutions accessible for everyone and give small businesses a chance.

First impressions are difficult to change, especially for a small business. Using the same tools that the big companies do adds a certain level of credibility to a business that may otherwise be elusive. When marketing products and/or services via the telephone the customer is going to judge the company's entire image based on how the phone call is executed as it is their only point of reference. VoIP technology has made a great deal of progress in the last ten years and currently provides a practical alternative to the pricey services offered by the phone company. In today's economy small efforts to save time and money can be the difference between success and failure, especially for the small business. VoIP software solutions can provide that competitive edge to keep small businesses profitable.

Any good VoIP company can provide software solutions such as auto dialers, auto appointment reminders, text to voice and broadcast email solutions to give small businesses that competitive edge they are seeking. Couple those types of software solutions with an affordable VoIP service provider such as Skype and even the smallest business can project a successful image that will add to their bottom line even during the most trying economic times. A successful image, higher productivity and financial savings are all benefits of using VoIP software and services over those offered by traditional phone companies and Yahoo and Skype are top notch choices available in today's market.

Free PC to Phone Calls

The computer has invented many basic processes in a new way completely and has therefore left a positive tussle on the human head. Calling is one of those features and human beings have now being given the facility of free calling with the integration of VOIP and the personal computer.

A person is given the facility to make a call to any location in the world with the help of this technology and hence the utilization of this feature is a aspect which is quite prominent in the field of communication. Free PC to phone calls are therefore being made by people all over the world and the world at any single second of the total set of 24 hours is able to witness millions of calls of this type being made.
PC to phone calls are essentially handled by specific software which are made for this purpose only, and these software are quite easy to install and then use. The business prospects of this feature is now realized and hence people subscribe to the services of numerous service providers. These providers have their specific websites where the user can go and gain knowledge to the type of service( in this context). He can therefore know about the usage of the software and hence after installation the chance of any unnecessary confusion of the user is minimized.

The versatile technology of VOIP is quite an interesting aspect in its functioning and hence it is quite fascinating to get an idea about the basic way this technology works. The primary process is the conversion of human voice into digital signals which are then ferried across the network to their individual destinations in the packet transfer mode. This is therefore an extremely reliable and also a secure system and also one with quite a high degree of performance. The wonderful performance can be associated with the fact that the presence of perhaps the most advanced physical medium of fiber optics increases both the speed as well as the amount of the information that is being sent.
The hardware that anyone would need in order to use the advantages of free PC calling is also not extensive. All that is needed is a PC with a good internet connection and also good quality speakers and a headset with of course a microphone.
As most of the business of VOIP is now being undertaken in the form of calling websites of VOIP service providers, hence the user has lots of choices to choose from, for accessing the features of free PC calls. Most of these websites are developed by talented web developers and programmers and are therefore quite easy to comprehend for the user. These websites primarily require the registration of the user after which he is required to download and install the software needed for making free PC calls. The software that are currently available in most of the websites have extremely simple user interfaces and hence even a child with the knowledge of computers up to the level of the games that he plays, can make a call. This simplicity is one of the major reasons for the success of this new feature in the communication arena and is also one of the major contributors to the ever growing number of satisfied customers.

The world is now completely connected with all the major cities having this feature and therefore anyone with the access to a computer(which has the required software) can make free PC calls. Almost all of the developing economies and all the developed countries have their population using this feature and hence free calling is now gradually shedding off the garb of a new attractive technology into a commonly known feature. Hence PC to Phone calls are now being used by human beings of perhaps all the existent nationalities in the world.

VOIP getting popular in Asia

Internet telephony is now a billions business in Asia and is expected to grow by at least 20 per cent annually. Enterprises who initially wary of VOIP due to reliability and investment seems to have finally overcome their initial resistance.
Major countries in Asia such as China, Japan, India and Singapore have taken significant steps for VOIP implementation for enterprises.

Why VOIP is on the Rise?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is a technology that allows you to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection. It converts the voice signals into data for transmission over an IP network, and then reconverts the data back to voice signals.

There are several factors tip in the scales in favor of IP telephony. But the primary one is the trend towards a consolidated data and voice infrastructure as organizations look to reduce operational costs.

Also, an increasing need to replace traditional private branch exchange (PBX) systems has pushed businesses to look at alternatives like VOIP. With the current distributed IP phone solution, enterprises do not have to fuss over system breakdowns that once plagued the old PBX.

The implementation of VOIP system allows voice calls to be carried over the company’s existing data network. The IP phone system has helped to reduce voice traffic and ease the maintenance.

The rise of VOIP among enterprises also because of the high growth of broadband connections to the home, improvements in quality of service, and hook-ups that allow VOIP calls over ordinary telephone handsets rather than clunky PC microphone systems.

VOIP services for now typically promise a significant cost savings, virtually wiping out charges for long distance and international calls. In addition, connecting phone calls over the Internet could eventually open the door to advanced communications services that tie voice together with e-mail, instant messaging and video conferencing.

Can VOIP Work With My Regular Phone?

Advancement in computer technology continues to grow. It seems that as soon as you understand and become comfortable with particular software and/or service a new and improved version appears on the horizon of technology. Most people are familiar with instant messaging and enjoy talking instantly with their friends and family with their personal computer (PC). The newest advancement that combines instant messaging with your phone service known as Voice over IP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is the latest advancement in Internet technologies. What exactly is this and how does it benefit you?

Voice over IP is a technology that provides you with the ability to make telephone calls using your current broadband Internet connection. There are several different services available. Some allow you to call only those with the same service as yours, others allow you to call anyone with a telephone number even if it is a cell phone. Services also differ in that some work with your phone and a special adapter and others over your computer with a special Voice over IP adaptor.

The way Voice over IP functions is that it takes your voice signal as it travels through your computer (the Internet) and changes it to a signal that the computer recognizes. This is what allows you to make calls from your traditional phone to other computers.. Depending on your service provider, you may also use Voice over IP with wireless connections. There are different methods available for using Voice over IP such as making calls directly from your computer, using a special Voice over IP phone, or even using a traditional phone with a Voice over IP adaptor.

In order to use this service you will need access to high speed Internet (broadband connection). If you use an adaptor, you will then connect your traditional telephone to the adaptor or you can connect a microphone and speaker to your computer and use the service. The price of the service depends on several factors including which provider you choose for your service, the type of plan you decide upon, and whether you intend to make International calls.

If you decide upon Voice over IP service, consider what you will do in the event of a power outage. Check to see if your provider offers a backup plan in case of such events. In addition, can you contact 9-1-1- with the plan you choose. Some providers combine their instant messages with Voice over IP service that will display a phone pad in the instant messaging window, allow you to manage the calls that you make and receive, and more.

Public Relations for VOIP

Perhaps you have seen all the voice IP commercials on TV? They are quite good indeed and millions of Americans have signed up for voice IP telephone service. Unfortunately voice IP also take up significant bandwidth and this can cause problems with the service making people very upset.

Of course you cannot argue with the price especially if you were one who uses a lot of long-distance calling each month. Nevertheless, simple advertising on television maybe very good marketing to increase voice IP subscribers for a voice IP telephone company, but it is not enough. In fact many of these companies lack a real robust public relations and community goodwill program.

All companies need to participate in some form of public relations in order to remain good corporate citizens. One thing a voice IP company can do is help those people who are blind or hard of hearing use their system better and perhaps discounts the extra equipment that will be needed for them to use. Voice IP phone companies must compete with long-distance telephone service companies who work very hard to promote their public-relations strategies.

If voice IP telephone companies do not participate in public-relations strategies they will not be looked upon favorably in the marketplace and this might be their undoing in the future.

Understanding VOIP

How VOIP works?

VOIP is fast becoming the replacement technology for voice communication. However many people still have questions as to how it works? VOIP costs less than your traditional phone service, this is what makes it attractive to most consumers. Not only does it cost less than your traditional phone service it also costs less than the vast majority of monthly cell phone plans.

The number of VOIP providers is increasing giving you more choices and better calling plans. VOIP is still at its developmental stage. The VOIP service is available for both commercial and residential use, ranging from PC-to-PC service, all the way up to phone-to-phone. The following are the basic features of VOIP.

Anybody with an internet connection has the basic capability to use a VOIP service and benefit from the cost savings associated with VOIP. A basic plan that offers a number of long-distance minutes is very inexpensive and if that's what you need then VOIP will work perfectly for you.

VOIP is a method which takes voice phone calls and then encodes them digitally. Basically VOIP is the protocol that is used to send your voice over the internet. The VOIP technology transmits your voice over what is called an IP network.

Most everyone agrees that VOIP is the future of voice and data communications.. By the looks of it VOIP is going to continue to grow and expand. VOIP is the Wave of the Future - and the Present. Although you may be intimidated by this new technology at present, my advice would be to learn more about this new service as it seems this technology is here to stay.

How VOIP Works

If you have never heard about VOIP, then you should be ready to hear about the new technology in making long distance phone calls. VOIP or voice over internet protocol is a phone call making process using computer or laptop over high speed internet access. VOIP is a revolutionary technology. It has a complete rework potential in our world's phone system.

How VOIP Works:
There are three different way in VOIP service. ATA or analog telephone adaptor is the simplest and common way to use. With ATA, it allows to connect our regular phone to computer with the internet connection using VOIP. VOIP works over the analog that is transmitted into a digital voice. Others are IP Phones that is using Ethernet connector. Every time we are making a phone call, router will create a way or path to our phone destination. VOIP also works in computer-to-computer. This is the easiest way using VOIP.

In PC-to-PC, we do not have to pay certain rate even though for a long distance calls. Using computer-to-computer way, making a phone calls using VOIP required special equipment, such as a microphone, speakers, a sound card, and also the internet connection. Our computer also required minimum software to support how VOIP works. It is including the hardware that is should be at least perform in 300 MHz processor with minimum 128 MB RAM. Our computer also should be install a low rate VOIP with at least has 10 MB free disk space. VOIP will works with a stable power and internet access. The connection should be performing in a good path. It is because once we are making a phone call, router will create a path to our phone destination, if the power down, VOIP will perform not in their best quality. Therefore we should maintain the reliability of the power of VOIP and the internet access.

A Little About VOIP

What is VOIP?
VOIP is a hot topic these days, but what exactly is VOIP and VOIP service? It is a method of using the internet to carry phone calls. The term, "VOIP", stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol.

Why to use a VOIP service?
Probably cost is one of the main considerations as VOIP is less expensive than many other telephone service options. The cost of VOIP service is similar to the cost of sending email. You must pay to have an internet service, but after that, your usage is free. In some instances, savings of up to 90% over regular long distance and other telephone services can be recognized.

Can VOIP be used for business service?
Anybody with an internet connection has the basic capability to use a VOIP service, and benefit from the cost savings associated with VOIP.

What about long distance calls especially international long distance?
Certainly; In fact, that is one of the primary arguments in favor of any VOIP service. The savings can be quite significant when a VOIP service is used for business or personal long distance calls. If you are now making international long distance calls for businesses or personal reasons, you should see immediate savings on your long distance telephone charges.

Is VOIP legal?
Yes, it is a legal and acceptable alternative to standard telephone and long distance calling systems.

Will DSL or Broadband access enhance my VOIP service?
Absolutely. high speed internet services, such as DSL or Broadband, allow the use of multiple phone lines. This would be of particular importance to a business user.

What about using VOIP an internal business network?
As a matter of fact, many businesses have used it successfully for exactly that purpose, in addition to using it for external business contacts.

VOIP Technology - an Amazing Discovery

You know that life has changed just a bit when you can make calls using the internet. VOIP (voice over internet protocol) is a latest technology that allows users to communicate through an internet connection. Now most of you are probably familiar with email by now. Even a few short years ago we relied on mail carriers to get our mail, but the internet change all of that. Now, thanks to VOIP you can talk cheaper than ever before.

There are a few things you need before you can start talking online with VOIP technology. You will need a VOIP adapter hooked to your pc (personal computer) before you can access it through your internet provider.

VOIP is very convenient

One of the major advantages of VOIP technology is the ability to route your incoming calls to your VOIP service. You can retrieve your calls with your VOIP connection from anywhere that has internet access. If you are a business person this can be a real life saver. You can obtain VOIP numbers in the US and UK as well as several other countries.

VOIP works Anywhere

If you are in Europe and someone calls your VOIP number it will actually follow you and ring in Europe. Now that is state of the art technology. So, you could be on a business trip and travel all over the world and never miss an important phone call ever again. VOIP is still growing and will continue to evolve and improve as time goes on. But, you can find some wonderful VOIP service providers by searching online.

Talk is Cheap via VOIP Technology

VOIP products are integral to the most advanced and reliable VOIP and Voice over ATM platforms currently sold by leading VOIP telecoms and networking companies worldwide. VOIP products based on VOIP enabled technology products employ Voice over Packet chip processors, VOIP PCI and cPCI communication boards and VOIP media gateway modules (PMC form factor).

VOIP Usage

VOIP companies provide voice over packet (VOIP) processors for OEM implementations of voice communications over packet networks or "VOIP". Each VOIP processor features low bit rate Vocoders, a State of the art Echo Canceller and T.38 compliant fax relay. High and medium density gateways, residential gateways and integrated access devices (IAD) are among the major users of VOIP chip processors. These VOIP solutions power client applications from small gateways and IP phones... An As an indication of market size... one major VOIP provider has over 10 million ports installed and growing rapidly.

VOIP Products as a Gateway Network

The entire VOIP gateway network is based on continued advances in VOIP media boards that offer field proven solutions. Product design of proper PSTN interfaces is a critical factors in VOIP deployment. How can small or medium-sized gateways compete in the market? By implementing cost-effective solutions for enterprise or small POPs and fast market penetration into new and emerging markets. On the other hand, large VOIP gateways are designed to meet major carriers’ operational requirements.

VOIP Products are Market Driven

The rapid VOIP market expansion for VOIP Gateways led to the large diversity in VOIP products. Today, VOIP providers may choose from different sized gateways for VOIP networks of different sizes. Also, Median VOIP gateways enable carriers to address multi-regional requirements and strengthen economics of deployment. For instance, providing PSTN signaling and compression technology deployed in over 75 countries is quite a challenge. Fortunately, VOIP technology may quickly enter new regions and conserve precious bandwidth in hard-to-reach offices.

A Basic Insight Into The Technology Behind VoIP Phones

A VOIP phone can be defined as an entity that is used to make telephone calls over the internet. A VOIP phone utilizes the Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology wherein our voice is converted into digital signal that is transmitted over the Internet. VOIP phones enable you to enjoy the benefits of VOIP technology.

The VOIP technology is based on protocols, such as SIP, H.323 or proprietary ones like Skype.

How is voice transmitted using the VoIP technology?

VOIP phone >> broadband router >> Internet >> VOIP service provider

Well, if you do not wish to spend on purchasing a new VOIP phone, just connect your existing analogue telephone to a VOIP phone adapter and enjoy the benefits of VOIP. There are many VOIP service providers who allow you to use the service on your analogue telephones. With the VOIP phone adapter, you do not need a VOIP phone or a computer to avail the VoIP service. The analogue telephone connects to the broadband router through the adaptor. The router connects to the Internet.

standard analogue telephone >> VOIP adapter >> broadband router >> Internet >> VOIP service provider

The UK phone users may need an RJ11 adapter to convert their standard BT Connector to an International Connector. RJ11 adapter may be bought with a VOIP Phone Adapter.

Broadband routers have built-in VOIP and can also be used as VOIP Phone Adapters. You can buy these routers online.

What are the things required to avail the benefits of VOIP service?

• VOIP hardware: VOIP phones can be plugged it straight into a network or a broadband router


• VOIP adaptors: used when you need to avail voip service through an analogue telephone


• voip-compatible router: provide access to the Internet for multiple devices (can be wired or wireless)


• Softphone:a software-based phone that operates from a PC uses Internet connection to make VoIP calls can be used with a USB Phone or PC Headset


• Internet connection


• subscription to a VOIP service

VOIP is indeed a cutting-edge technology that has revolutionized the telephony system to a great extent.