As VoIP services are shooting up to a larger group of audience, the threats of various attacks are also increasing.
Such risks can affect your virtual communication in various forms, costing enormous amounts of valuable resources to an individual or a business. However, when proper measures are applied, the VoIPs can be made more secure than conventional calls.
So, this article will provide you with various professional insights and techniques to ensure your VoIP security and protect your calls and data from any kind of scam.
Threats to VoIP Security
As VoIP is entirely based on the internet, it is exposed to billions of users, and the more exposure, the more vulnerable it will be. So, let’s start the article by dissecting some of the potential risks and vulnerabilities that a VoIP system is most likely to face.
1. Eavesdropping
A cyber attack that involves sneaky theft and spying on your calls and data is known as eavesdropping. As VoIP data packets travel over the internet, attackers can intercept and decode them by accessing network traffic. They can listen to and mess with calls without your concern, risking your privacy and leaking confidential information.
2. Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks
A DoS (Denial of Service) attack overloads a network or service with excessive traffic, preventing it from functioning normally. This can deteriorate VoIP infrastructures and resources like bandwidth and cause a shutdown of the entire network. Attackers often ask for ransoms to stop such attacks or use them as a distraction to extract other sensitive data from the network.
3. Malware and Viruses
Malware and viruses are malicious software programmed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to your computer system or network. Once installed or injected into your system, they can exploit vulnerabilities in your system and protocols, making it more prone to threats like eavesdropping, ID spoofing, and VoIP spam.
4. Social Engineering
Social engineering is a technique for manipulating others and making them reveal confidential information. Attackers use various tactics, including phishing attacks, using deceptive emails, messages, or calls to trick users into revealing login credentials. Additionally, social engineering attacks can also be used to gain access to corporate networks or to install malicious software.
5. Toll Fraud
Toll fraud is a form of financial fraud where attackers use automated systems to make a large volume of fraudulent calls. Most of these calls go to international destinations, causing significant financial losses to the organization. These types of fraud are the most common but brutal for any VoIP company. The FCC estimated that US businesses lost around $29.2 billion in 2021 just because of toll frauds.
The Impact of Inadequate VoIP Security
The above threats sound dangerous, don’t they? Not only do they sound, but in fact, they are dangerous. An organization and an individual can go through a lot, from financial losses to damaging their reputation in the market. And all these are just because of the lack of proper VoIP security.
- Financial Loss: Along with direct financial loss, such as fraud by scammers, resource exhaustion by DoS(Denial of Service) attacks, confidential data breaches, and network outages, there are indirect losses, too. The downtime and leakage of sensitive information can lead to a decrease in customer satisfaction and trust, which in turn can decrease revenue.
- Damage to Reputation: If an organization’s VoIP network is hacked, the attacker could steal sensitive data. This data breach can cause customers to lose trust and confidence, downgrading the business image. Due to this bad reputation, it will be difficult for the companies to attract new customers, partners, and investors.
- Legal and Compliance Issues: Inadequate VoIP security poses legal and compliance risks, including potential breaches of data protection laws, confidentiality agreements, and industry-specific regulations. Organizations may face liability for damages, regulatory fines, and contractual violations, leading to official legal cases and financial penalties.
VoIP Security Protocols
Security protocols, often referred to as cryptographic protocols, are a set of rules designed to enhance security while using the Internet. Likewise, there are various VoIP security protocols that help to keep VoIP calls more secure and less prone to vulnerabilities.
Some of them are discussed below.
1. SIP Security
SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol. Typically, a VoIP call is initiated using this protocol, so it is mandatory to make this protocol safe and secure to make the VoIP calls secure. To make SIP firm and solid, we can use various other associated protocols and mechanisms, such as SIP-ID, STIR ( Secure Telephone Identity Revisited), and SIP over VPNs(Virtual Private Network). This helps to protect against potential threats on the public internet, and combats call spoofing by ensuring authentication.
2. SRTP
SRTP (Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol) is a cryptographic protocol that encrypts and authenticates VoIP media packets. It is typically used in conjunction with SIP security to provide end-to-end encryption for VoIP calls. It also protects against replay attacks, which are attempts to resend previously captured packets. This protection is beneficial in minimizing the risk of DoS (Denial of Service) attacks.
3. TLS
TLS (Transport Layer Security) is a more secure version of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). It is designed to encrypt the caller’s information and work on the principle of digital certification to authenticate that the caller and receiver are legitimate. This will minimize vicious threats like MitM (Man-in-the-Middle), eavesdropping, and impersonations.
4. ZRTP
Zimmermann Real-Time Transport Protocol is a protocol designed to secure real-time voice communication over IP networks, just like SRTP. However, unlike SRTP, it doesn’t need prior configuration and can perform key exchange without relying on central authority. In some cases, ZRTP is more useful and secure than SRTP, but it is comparatively difficult to implement.
Best Practices for VoIP Security
So far, you have looked into the threats and the impacts a VoIP system will face due to the lack of sufficient security. Now, to ensure your VoIP phone system is secure, these are some industry-in-use and suggested practices to follow.
1. Strong Authentication
Authentication is the process of proving the validity of a statement, such as the identity of a computer user. It plays an important role in securing your VoIP calls and the whole network against unauthorized access, malware, eavesdropping, and other potential threats.
A strong authentication involves a combination of components and techniques. This includes strong and unique username/password, multi-factor authentication (MFA) techniques, Public Key Infrastructures (PKI), digital certifications, RBAC (Role-based Access Control), and many more.
2. Encryption
VoIP traffic encryption involves encoding voice packets and digital data packets so that only specified users can decode, decipher, and listen to them. It converts the voice signal into something that can only be understood by the intended recipient, not by the intruder or the mediator. So, even if a spy intercepts the information before it reaches its destination, he or she cannot decode and interpret it.
Basic encryption can be done by implementing the TLS (Transport Layer Security) and SRTP ( Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol). The TLS will encrypt private information such as the caller’s ID and callee’s phone number. Likewise, SRTP encrypts the actual voice data. Using these protocols with appropriate encryption and decryption like SHA-256 will make it pretty impossible to decrypt the encrypted message and calls.
3. Network Segmentation
Dividing your network into isolated parts and devices and directing specific traffic into them is Network Segmentation. Segmenting your network becomes crucial when it comes to its security. By defining specific network segmentation goals, it will help to monitor and detect suspicious activity more quickly.
Using VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) for VoIP will separate other data traffic, minimizing the risk of attacks. Also, network segmentation is essential while implementing firewalls and intrusion detection systems to configure traffic between VoIP and non-VoIP segments.
4. Firewall and Intrusion Detection Systems
Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) play integral roles in securing VoIP networks by working together to monitor and control network traffic. Firewalls, most specifically WAF (web application firewall), act as the initial line of defense, enforcing predetermined rules to prevent unauthorized access and block recognized malicious traffic. Meanwhile, IDS actively scans for signs of suspicious activities that may go beyond the scope of firewall rules.
Both firewalls and IDS analyze network traffic patterns and signatures associated with known attack methods, ensuring the identification of potential threats, including innovative tactics or vulnerabilities not previously recognized. Firewalls and IDS help to reduce the threats of DoS (Denial of Service) attacks, malicious content, unauthorized port scanning, and many more.
5. Regular Software Updates
In terms of security, regularly upgrading and maintaining your software can be very beneficial. As updates are there to fix bugs, glitches, and patch security vulnerabilities, it is always recommended to update software if available.
Also, regular software updates often include improvements and changes that align with the latest security standards, so sometimes, updating to meet compliance requirements becomes a compulsion.
Additionally, developers are constantly working to improve their software, and software updates often include performance and reliability improvements. Therefore, it is vital to stay up to date with software updates to ensure the best user experience and optimal security.
6. Employee Training
Social engineering is the primary weapon of cyber attackers, involving psychological manipulation to extract confidential information. Therefore, Voice Over IP (VoIP) security requires comprehensive employee training to raise awareness of potential threats, including phishing attacks and password vulnerabilities.
Employers can initiate a well-structured training program led by a cybersecurity expert. Make sure the training covers technical aspects like phishing prevention, password management, and policy adherence. The program should also include psychological strategies. Additionally, it is essential to train employees about using reliable antivirus software to scan for malware and other malicious software.
Conclusion
To conclude, no technology is simply perfect and immune to the risks discussed earlier. But, if you’re using VoIP as your communication service, applying the mentioned practices can save you a lot.
VoIP security issues can also depend on your usage and be specific to the service you choose. So, make sure you subscribe to trusted, genuine, and secure services like Dialaxy, Nextiva, and KrispCall.
At last, there is no single remedy to protect your VoIP calls. So, stay up-to-date on emerging threats and best practices to keep your VoIP security strong. Be aware, be safe.
