| VoIP hacking is a new term that strikes fear into the | | | | to be someone else, probably to obtain sensitive |
| hearts of many residential and corporate users thinking | | | | information from the person at the end of the line. |
| about upgrading from their existing traditional phone | | | | Unless VoIP systems are made secure, this will |
| network and in some cases even dissuades them | | | | otherwise likely be an easy to perform "hack". |
| from doing so. | | | | Call hijacking is the interception of a call intended for a |
| Thankfully, although talk of VoIP hacking goes back to | | | | particular party and relaying it to someone else. Again, |
| 2004 and earlier, there are relatively few reports of it | | | | this is likely to be used in conjunction with some form |
| and it certainly does not compare to the levels of | | | | of social engineering. |
| malicious use seen in the days of "blue boxing" and | | | | Sometimes a hacker may simply wish to shut down a |
| company PBX misuse. | | | | telephone network through brute force or denial of |
| In essence, VoIP becomes susceptible to hacking | | | | service attacks. For some companies, such disruption |
| because in transferring analogue voice data into a | | | | of business can cost millions of dollars. A disgruntled |
| digital form that is carried over the internet, some | | | | employee, for example, may try such an attack. |
| security firms say this is tantamount to gaining all the | | | | Wiretapping or phone tapping can be considered to be |
| risks of computer data systems such as bugs, but also | | | | more simple to perform on a VoIP network. Because |
| worms and viruses. Hackers already have their | | | | a hacker can access the system from afar via the |
| existing tools of the trade that they have owned for | | | | internet, he need not jack directly in to the local phone |
| years, and can simply transfer these to the world of | | | | network. Such compromising or sensitive information |
| VoIP. | | | | can be sold on by the criminal fraternity or even |
| Types of VoIP Hacking | | | | espionage carried out. |
| There are a number of types of such malicious use, all | | | | Worms and trojan horses can also use spoofing to |
| of which can be potentially very damaging: | | | | disguise themselves within a voice packet. Once |
| Audio spam is a recently increasing form of abuse - | | | | behind the corporate firewalls, they can wreak havoc |
| we have all become accustomed to email spam and | | | | on a company's business critical systems. |
| the same mechanisms that allow for distribution of | | | | How To Protect Yourself From VoIP Hacking |
| spam to millions at a minimal cost also apply to the | | | | Whilst there are a number of risks from such practises |
| convergence of voice and data. Companies will have | | | | above, minimizing the risk can enable you to obtain all |
| to get smart and combat such spam using complex | | | | the advantages of lower costs and valuable services. |
| filters. | | | | Most large companies are now considering migration |
| Voice phishing is likely to increase. This is a form of | | | | to VoIP and have mitigated the risks by using |
| social engineering where the person being called is | | | | advanced encryption and placing control of such |
| convinced to hand over sensitive and confidential | | | | systems to only a critical few persons. |
| information. The ability to send out mass recordings | | | | Such measures can allow you to enjoy the benefits of |
| over the internet via VoIP is likely to increase this type | | | | VoIP in a secure operating environment with business |
| of malicious practice. | | | | risk being minimal and insignificant. |
| Caller ID spoofing is where the caller is able to pretend | | | | |