Firms 'should be aware of VoIP security risks'

Firms 'should be aware of VoIP security risks'

The importance of vigilance over VoIP security has been highlighted by behavioural analysis IT security software vendor Tier-3.

According to the firm, research shows that some VoIP lines can be compromised by eavesdropping hackers using an application named SIPTap.

"This type of application sounds a warning because it demonstrates the ease with which VoIP networks can be hacked and intellectual property stolen," said Geoff Sweeney, chief technical of Tier-3.

"The most worrying aspect of this is that the software can be loaded on to a company's internal systems using Trojan horse malware."

Data networks and VoIP services are comparable in terms of their security, which means that firms should pay as much attention to protecting their IP PBX connections as they do on their internal data network.

Outsourcing their VoIP systems to third-party experts may add a greater level of protection as hacking into these specialised systems would likely be more difficult due to the constant monitoring and higher security of the networks.