Security tips offered to SMEs for safer VoIP

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been advised to pay as much attention to security issues with voice over internet protocol (VoIP) as they would to their computer data network.

John Edwards, writing for Voip News, said that there are "many cost, efficiency and productivity benefits" for commercial users if they switch to a VoIP telephony system.

However, he added that the close links between data networks and VoIP mean that "the need to safeguard internet telephony developments is very real".

Mr Edwards advised firms to make sure that "ironclad authentication and encryption tools are in place" such as a VPN (virtual private network) or making use of a hosted PBX (private branch exchange) service.

Such precautions should keep the VoIP connections safe, he suggested, especially if firms compare the security policies of several VoIP providers to ensure they choose a reliable service.

However, Mr Edwards added that the main danger to VoIP services is its users.

"Users do all sorts of things that open the door to potential attackers, such as using unauthorized hosted IP telephony technologies like Google Talk and Skype," he said.

"While these services are relatively safe in a stand-alone consumer environment, they can introduce significant risks into an enterpriseVoIP system as they search for ways to reach the public Internet though firewalls and other security barriers."

Posted on: 2007-09-14, in: IP PBX

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