Is VoIP secure?

Voice over Internet Protocol is a fast, efficient and highly adaptable way of putting your business’ voice, text and video communications into one place. 

And when the existing ISDN phone lines are switched off by BT in 2025, VoIP phone systems will become the standard. 

In case you’ve not heard, VoIP moves all your communication systems onto the internet. 

But like any system that’s internet based, there are always going to be security concerns that need to be addressed before people are confident there communications won’t be compromised by switching to VoIP. 

In this article we address the main concerns we hear about VoIP. 

Why are people concerned about VoIP security? 

When we talk to people about the security of VoIP phone systems, it’s not usually the VoIP system itself they’re concerned about, it’s the fact it uses an internet connection to transfer call data. 

Because VoIP runs on the internet there are concerns that the connection could be hacked and any data being sent over the network could be intercepted. 

But like all internet based business systems, there’s plenty of security and encryption in the back ground that will protect your internet phone network. 

Where do VoIP security risks come from? 

Any security risks that are associated with VoIP phone systems don’t actually come from the VoIP handsets, it’s more to do with that fact that the system operates over the internet. 

This presents particular risks with VoIP if you regularly share card details to make payments over the phone, or discuss sensitive commercial or personal information with clients or internal teams. 

In the context of VoIP systems, the thing to be aware of is the security of SIP trunks. 

SIP – which stands for Session Internet Protocol – is what is used to start and finish the multimedia calls you can perform using VoIP. 

SIP is what carries the data between the callers (end points). 

There has been some concern that these SIP trunks aren’t secure, but in reality there is security built in, and there are additional things you can do to improve your VoIP security. 

How to secure VoIP 

The primary defence against cyberattacks on your VoIP system is to establish a robust internet security system that protects your connections from attacks (and therefore keeps your communications secure at the same time) 

These defences can include (among other things) 

• Firewall: An internet firewall is a standard security feature of most IT security software. As the name suggests it creates a wall between your systems and any cyber criminals trying to gain access. Next-gen firewalls can proactively protect your systems from threats like denial of service attacks or prevent hackers accessing your comms network. 
• Use network encryption: Encryption is a standard part of next generation IT security software, and you should ensure whatever steps you put in place will enable secure encryption of data moving over your SIP trunk. Encryption can stop hackers from accessing data (or understanding it) if they did manage to get past your initial defence. 
• Remember security best practice: While you can deploy a number of security systems to protect your internet connection and VoIP system, poor user practices can easily put your system at risk. One of the biggest risks is poor password management. In a study by Google, 52% of people admitted to using the same password for multiple accounts, while 13% used the same password for every account. When it comes to your VoIP system, ensure to use a unique, strong password. 

• Constantly review your IT infrastructure: Whether you host your own IT network or use a managed service provider, you should carry out regular reviews of your IT infrastructure, particularly when it comes to security. Any holes in your IT network can potentially create a door to your VoIP system that hackers can use. 

Ensuring security as standard with VoIP 

Despite the above concerns some have around VoIP, the reality is that calls made over the internet are just as private and secure as those using traditional digital phone lines, provided you secure your business’ IT network. 

By bringing your SIP and VoIP under your wider cybersecurity umbrella and carrying out regular threat assessments you’ll get a secure and private communication network that provides a far more reliable, scalable and efficient comms network than you’ve had before. 

Get a secure VoIP phone system from Cellular Solutions 

If you’re ready to remove the restrictions placed on your business by traditional phone systems, then get in touch to find out more about our VoIP business phone systems at Cellular Solutions. 

We’re already helping businesses make the switch to VoIP ahead of the ISDN switch off so they can continue to communicate internally and with teams. 

If you want to find out more about the cloud based business phone systems available to your business, get in touch.