Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP technology continues to thrive and gain more popularity as a reliable communication solution for Singapore businesses, whether big or small. With the benefits of cloud VoIP, such as scalability, mobility, affordability and overall efficiency, it allows enterprises and corporations to collaborate and connect with their associates, employees, partners and customers in a convenient and less costly way compared to traditional telephone services.
However, like any other technologies relying on the internet, hosted VoIP system can be tapped by cybercriminals for their own selfish uses. Although IP PBX telephone system is a reliable solution for communication, there are precautions you need to take into account to prevent any risk of getting hacked.
Signs Your VoIP Has Been Hacked
1. Fake Anti-Virus Notifications
Your VoIP system functions with the help of the internet. It connects to the internet and uses it to send and receive voice and video calls. If you or anyone in the network receives anti-virus notifications when the system is activate, notify your Singapore voip provider right away and have them check the source of the notification and remove the malware. Unfortunately, once you receive the fake notification, the hacker has already sneaked his way into your hosted pbx system.
Therefore, it is extremely critical that everyone in the network are trained to recognize these pop ups, and more importantly not to click on the message. In case the fake notification appears, shut down the entire network until an IT technician or your VoIP provide has provided a solution to the issue.
2. Irregularities in Call History
Unless you’re a call center company or concerned about call quality, there really is no need to constantly monitor every phone conversation that takes place, but you should at least check the call history. Geometric limits protect you from fraudulent calls, as well as let you monitor irregular call patterns.
For every IP address that enters your VoIP system, it must pass through a three-step authentication procedure. When you monitor calls, including incoming and outgoing calls, look for unrecognizable phone numbers or call patters. If patterns are present where it should not be, that’s a sign that your hosted pbx is hacked.
3. Webcams and Microphones Randomly Activates
Alongside the beneficial features of your IP PBX telephone system is your ability to make use of the webcam and mic features to make ad take voice or video calls. And although it should work to your advantage, it also serves as an open door for intruders. If anyone in your office starts to notice that the webcams and microphones are operating by themselves—recording conversations, turning itself on and off—then this could be another sign that your cloud VoIP is hacked.
Hackers can access your webcams and microphones to spy on your data in an effort to get private information, including financial data.
4. Internet Searches Redirects to Random Sites
When doing a search on the internet and you get redirected to another random site, it could be a sign that your VoIP system has been hacked. Another sign to notice is the presence of toolbars and extensions that were installed in your browser without getting your permission.
To protect your system from these hacking tactics, log out your admin portal and turn off your system when not in use.
5. Drastic Increase in Your Phone Bills
Another obvious sign that your system is taken over by unauthorized entities is if your phone bill drastically increases without apparent reason. One of the most common concerns in hosted VoIP system is the unauthorized use of the system.
When hackers gain access into your cloud VoIP, they can take advantage of the communication system and abuse it by making long distance calls. In result, your phone bills skyrockets if you are not able to detect the issue and report it to your VoIP provider here in Singapore.
Ways to Protect your VoIP from Getting Hacked
• Use Strong Passwords
“Qwerty_123” may look tempting for ease of recall, but https://www.crystalvoice.com.sg/ from Singapore strongly recommends changing the passwords of all your devices—from routers and firewalls to switches and IP phones—or anything connected to your hosted pbx. Using a default password or passwords like the aforementioned is no doubt the easiest way to get hacked. Similarly, do not use a weak password, like the name of your company or your birthday. Instead, use a combination of alphanumeric and upper-lower case when creating your password.
• Encrypt Everything!
Since VoIP calls are made via the internet, they can easily be intercepted if they are unencrypted. Even encryption of conversations made over the IP PBX telephone system may not be enough to protect critical information. As much as possible, you want to encrypt everything from the calls to the hardware and software used to border controllers and VoIP routers.
• Train Your Team
The best protection you can have is common sense—changing default passwords, only using secure network connections and not clicking on malicious looking advertisements and websites. If you are not sure of what you are downloading, simply do not attempt doing so. Training everyone in the office is the simplest preventive measure to keep your system safe from hackers.
Regardless what you are protecting, whether it is user data, business operations, phone call information or just any cases of fraud, security should always be your top priority when establishing a network. Other than keeping in mind the tips we mentioned above, it would be helpful to talk to a reliable VoIP service provider in Singapore for more security solutions for your VoIP system.
