How to Tell Whether VoIP Telephone Systems are Being Hacked

While we would like to believe that everyone out there is working legitimately, this is sadly not always the case. Whilst VoIP telephone systems offer an excellent level of security, it’s not impossible for them to be hacked. We have found several “how to” instructions readily available on the internet, informing would-be hackers of how to compromise a VoIP phone system. We also hear reports of VoIP fraud and related legal cases from time to time. Unscrupulous parties can listen in to calls, obtain data and cost your company a vast amount of money. So, we have put together a few pointers on how to tell whether VoIP telephone systems are being hacked, along with some handy tips on preventing your system from being hacked.

5 ways to detect if your system is being hacked:

1. Your bills are rising drastically, while data relating to call volumes etc. remains at the normal, expected levels. This is one of the most obvious ways to see that those within your company are not the only users on your VoIP system.
2. Pop-up spam and fake antivirus messages increase in number, like a deluge. This can be an internet hacking problem or a telephone system problem, so it will need further investigation but can be an indicator that your VoIP system is being hacked.
3. Microphone, webcam and portal activation can be a clear signal that you are being hacked. Interested parties can listen in to calls and obtain data of a confidential nature. Ensure that you turn these off when you aren’t using them and, if they initiate themselves, chances are that your system is being hacked.
4. Check your call logs for any irregularities. Any logs of telephone numbers, call times or durations that are out of place could be the work of a hacker.  Check with team members whether they made the call, or calls, to verify the situation and your system security. In particular, look for out of hours calls and outbound calls to premium rate numbers, as the intention of hackers is often to raise revenue via calls to premium rate numbers that they have set up specifically for this purpose.
5. Browser and tool bar alterations and redirected searches are key indicators that something is amiss. If you are in any doubt about the way in which the system is behaving, the alarm should be raised immediately.

5 ways to protect your VoIP telephone system:

1. Prevention is better than cure, so make sure that you understand how your VoIP telephone system operates. This way, you will be able to tell quickly if there is something amiss.
2. Use an expert service provider with a strong network and knowledge base, accredited and with excellent customer reviews. They will have the expertise to recognise a problem and be willing to act quickly on your suspicions.
3. Cap calls so that they cannot go above a certain monetary amount per week/month, and perhaps limit the destinations too. If your business is primarily in Europe do you need facilities to call China? If you don’t need to call premium rate numbers, then bar these on your system.
4. Time restrictions may also be initiated so a call outside of trading hours will flag up immediately, alerting you to the fact that your system is potentially being hacked.
5. To prevent attempted hacks, it is essential to turn portals, webcams and microphones off when the system is not in use.

Protect yourself as much as you possibly can from hacking, know your VoIP system, understand your business patterns and slam the door shut on hackers.

At Midland Networks, we provide secure hosted VoIP telephone systems in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. For more information about VoIP with a trusted provider, contact us today.