Business Voice Security: Are your Phone Systems Safe?

Attacks on business voice networks are on the rise. As businesses migrate from traditional voice systems to VoIP, voice security has emerged as a real concern for cybersecurity personnel. Cian Maher, Head of Voice Technology and Infrastructure, at DigitalWell, explains the reasons behind the trend and what companies can do to enhance voice security and safeguard business phone infrastructure.

Voice communication has been a cornerstone of modern business operations, enabling quick efficient collaboration across teams, regional offices and even continents. However, the transition to digital voice systems has meant transforming voice into data, making it susceptible to the same cyberthreats that afflict data networks. As a result, voice security has now become a priority for businesses of all sizes. Mutare’s Voice Network Threat Survey for 2023 saw a huge uplift in the number of attacks on business voice systems. All of the respondents in the survey had experienced negative impacts as a result of voice threats via business phones.

As the head technologist at DigitalWell, I have seen first-hand how VoIP has reshaped the connectivity landscape. It has been this integration of voice and data that has made it essential for businesses to adopt a holistic approach to security – one that considers voice communication as a critical component of overall cybersecurity strategy.

Our teams are seeing cybercriminals develop new strategies to exploit vulnerabilities in VoIP systems with attacks that can cripple communication infrastructure, and the risks are on the rise.

Eavesdropping, VoIP phishing (vishing), call interception, Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack, fraud, malware, ransomware and spoofing are just some of the attack vectors being deployed. And while clearly these threats can cause significant operational disruption, the financial and reputational damage can be catastrophic.

Yet voice security still remains overlooked for a number of reasons.

Firstly, there’s a perception that voice communications systems are secure. Certainly, traditional analogue systems, while not particularly versatile, were safer. But as the technology has moved on, that’s simply not the case anymore.

Secondly, companies tend to focus on data security, since, historically, data is seen as the most valuable asset. Companies now need to realise that voice is data.

Thirdly, many companies have under-resourced security teams that are not familiar with the issue and don’t have the expertise or the budget to plug the holes in their voice systems. Companies tend to focus on resolving compliance issues rather than adopting a proactive approach to threat management.

But neglecting voice security can have severe and wide-ranging consequences that affect day-to-day operations to the long-term viability of the business. VoIP systems contain confidential business information that can be used by bad actors and competitors. And breaches can leave companies open to legal liabilities and hefty regulatory fines.

DoS attacks, in particular, can lead to downtime, affecting productivity and ultimately profitability.

All of this highlights the importance of treating voice security with the same level of seriousness as general network security. A robust voice security strategy should be seen as a critical component of maintaining business integrity and long-term success.

Protecting voice systems requires a multi-faceted approach combining technology, best practices and continuous monitoring. Companies need to look at advanced solutions designed to protect voice infrastructure, such as siprotect from DigitalWell.

Sitting between internal VoIP infrastructure and the outside world, siprotect constantly monitors voice traffic for suspicious patterns and anomalies that could indicate a security breach or fraud. By analysing call data in real time, the solution can detect and block malicious activities such as toll fraud, eavesdropping and denial-of-service attacks. It also generates reports and alerts that businesses can use to improve their security posture.

Additionally, siprotect uses AI-driven SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) to monitor trends and evolve with the threat landscape.

When it comes to best practices for voice security, companies should implement security measures into their voice systems, such as two-factor authentication (2FA) to make it more difficult for bad actors to exploit compromised credentials. Regular security audits, ensuring VoIP systems are properly configured and ensuring software is kept up to date with the latest security patches is equally important. All members of staff should be trained in security protocols, as human error remains the most common entry point for attackers.

As for the future, as voice communication technology continues to evolve too will the threats. We’re already seeing the use of AI in attacks as cybercriminals leverage machine learning algorithms to analyse VoIP traffic and identify vulnerabilities. These can be difficult to detect. Businesses will need to invest in equally advanced AI-powered solutions to counter these threats.

5G networks are also a target. The increased bandwidth and reduced latency can be exploited through DDoS attacks and IoT devices connected via 5G will expand the attack surface further.

As employees continue to work remotely, using unauthorised devices and home networks, VoIP security becomes more difficult to control. This increases the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks whereby communications are intercepted between remote workers and company systems.

Finally, regulatory environments are continuing to evolve and become more complex. There will be increased scrutiny over voice security practices and data privacy. Companies must stay up to date with these changes in order to remain compliant.

The threats posed by voice-related cyberattacks are very real. As companies increasingly rely on VoIP and other digital communication platforms, these systems will be targeted by malicious actors using ever more sophisticated attacks. Organisations must ensure that their voice technology is protected through security measures such as AI monitoring, real-time threat detection to limit the risks. Voice security is no longer an option; it is an essential component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that safeguards your business.

To find out more about DigitalWell’s security solutions including siprotect, get in touch with a representative.