The ways that people communicate at work has evolved over the years, with online messaging services and email becoming more important. However, the office phone has remained a staple of office communication for decades. Recent advancements have changed what that phone system looks like. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems have replaced traditional landlines in many offices, allowing workers to make phone calls over an internet connection. With advantages like lower costs, portability, and accessibility, VoIP systems have become more popular for small businesses who have transitioned to working at home.
Hackers have taken notice of that increase in popularity. Over the summer, a hacking campaign has compromised the VoIP systems of over 1000 companies across the globe. Their primary goal was using the system to dial premium numbers that they owned. On top of that, criminals were able to eavesdrop on private calls and use the business network to mine cryptocurrency. While researchers have identified the vulnerability that hackers used to exploit the system, law enforcement has not yet been able to identify the group or groups responsible. While the benefits of VoIP are great, there is a real risk in using these systems to communicate
So what do you need to do to keep your business safe? First, identify what brand of VoIP system your company is using. These attacks were only possible on Sangoma and Asterisk systems. If you have one of these systems, we highly recommend that you identify whether the flaw has been patched, and patch it if it has not. If you have a VoIP phone system and are concerned about your business’s risk, contact us at info@optfinity.com to learn about how a managed services provider can protect your business from exploits like these.
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