One of the only drawbacks of VoIP phone service for businesses compared to traditional phone service is the fact that, yes indeed, isn’t as secure on its own. It’s more susceptible to eavesdroppers, hackers, line taps, and other hazards. These hackers tend to be criminals, and spend time hacking into VoIP systems in order to steal account information, passwords, and obtain information in an effort to blackmail- among many other reasons criminals do what they do of course. If you’ve taken the leap into business VoIP, have you taken efforts into making sure your system is secure? Is your business VoIP system hackable?
A hackable business VoIP system is an unsecure system. This is generally a system that’s set up on a computer that doesn’t have virus protection software. These computers are usually connected to the internet, and sometimes can be used for other internet purposes. This leaves your business VoIP system vulnerable to online spyware and hacking tools that criminals use to peek into your system.
Ways to avoid leaving your small business VoIP dedicated computer vulnerable to hackers may seem obvious, but the points should be made. First of all, only use your dedicated computer for your VoIP system just for that, only for programming your PBX and running your VoIP. Don’t use that computer as a general computer. Keep it off of your network if you can, and only accessible by you and people you trust. Install an excellent firewall and anti-virus system, and keep it up to date on that computer.
Another way to keep your VoIP for business system from getting hacked is by relying on the professionals. A lot of business owners choose to host their own VoIP systems because of cost reasons (it’s a lot cheaper to host your own). But if you host your VoIP off site and opt for a monthly fee, from your provider, you’re also protected from hackers and criminals getting into your businesses’ network of VoIP service, protecting you and your information from getting stolen.
The last way you can make sure that your on-site hosted VoIP system isn’t hacked is by regularly having it tested for bugs and hacks. There are some services in some areas that will do this for free. You can also choose to send valuable information in more secure ways other than over the phone of course as well, such as in encrypted e-mail, fax, or other ways that are secure and safe. Testing is a good way if you suspect that you’ve been hacked, but there’s no real way to know if you’ve been actually hacked until you see the aftermath, so testing may not be worth it.
There are lots of ways you can make sure your VoIP system isn’t hackable, keeping your business safe from criminals using your businesses personal information. Taking steps to avoid a hack are much easier than the cleanup after your information has been stolen, so it’s certainly worth making the effort to protect your business VoIP system and all of its components.
