VOIP Security Systems

PCs can mimic the behavior of an IP phone and gain easy Admin access to a company’s data center. If VoIP Hopping detects the vulnerability, beefed-up VoIP security is critical.

The integration of voice and data into a single network is a cost cutting convergence move, but may pose serious security risks to the VoIP telephony part of the converged network. A remote PC successfully mimicking a VoIP call can cause serious damage. A simple VoIP Hop test will detect the vulnerability if a company chooses to try. But, as reported recently in Symantec Security News, “there is a relatively low awareness throughout corporate America as to the various risks posed by converged VoIP solutions.” Having no awareness to a dangerous security flaw translates into a vulnerable network ready to be compromised.

The VoIP Hop test should be used by network engineers and Admins as a mandatory test of the company's VoIP system. The two-step security validation process is easy to perform. 1. Unplug Ethernet cable of IP phone and directly connect it to a laptop; 2. Use sniffer software to collect and dissect CDP packets that reveal the numeric ID of the VoIP VLAN. Once the ID is captured, attackers have a key and an easy road ahead into the company's the data center.

Best-in-Class VoIP Security Systems features:

Top Considerations before Buying VoIP Security Systems:

Remember that while the voice part of VoIP is more important for services and user experience (voice quality and latency), the IP part is important for data security. Ensure a multilayer, risk mitigation strategy for both native IP telephony features and standard network security measures, especially malicious degradation of voice service (DoS, virus, and hacker attacks) and audits for non-authorized or fraudulent use of VoIP network.
 
Key Providers:

1. Broadcom Corporation provides system-on-a-chip and software solutions, which enable the delivery of voice, video, data, and multimedia content to mobile devices and business networking products. The company’s VoIP platforms offer a range of high-end, mid-range, and basic features for voice, data, VoIP security capabilities. Broadcom is the only IP phone solution vendor to have shipped over 4 Million mass market single-chip IP phone solutions and the first to integrate Gigabit Ethernet switching onto a single-chip VoIP device. Broadcom's software suite, coupled with VoIP devices, provides a feature-rich, field-proven solution with advanced Quality of Service (QoS) features that enable high-performance IP phones with superior voice quality and security features.

2. Black Box Network Services from Black Box Corporation, founded in 1973, provides network infrastructure services for communication systems. The company offers design, installation, integration, monitoring, and maintenance of voice, data, and integrated communication systems, selling its products and services through catalog, Internet Web site, and voice and data services offices. Black Box Network Services has experience designing, installing, and maintaining complex voice and data networks, using wide range of portfolio platforms and applications from manufacturers to deliver VoIP solutions for organizations of all sizes and in all kinds of industries.

3. Ingate Systems, Inc., located in Hollis, New Hampshire, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ingate Systems AB of Stockholm, Sweden. The company develops firewall technology and products that enable Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) communications for the enterprise with control and security at the network edge. Ingate develops firewall technology that solves the NAT/firewall traversal issue with SIP. In addition to an extensive line of Ingate Firewall products, the company also produces the award-winning Ingate SIParator, a device that connects to an existing network firewall to enable SIP communications. The Ingate VoIP Survival software module, available for all Ingate Firewalls and SIParators Ingate, secures full redundancy in a SIP-based hosted environment

4. Incorporated in 1984, Patton Electronics designs, develops, and manufactures electronic communications equipment for business and carrier-class VoIP, network access, connectivity, and video surveillance equipment. Access to VoIP Providers, VoIP Services and integrated Triple-Play solutions are available from Patton and its VoIP Service Provider Partners. Patton's Voice-Over-IP Gateways, Routers and Triple-Play CPE devices are used by large and small Carriers around the world.   These world class Voice-Over-IP and Integrated Triple-Play services are available to Patton consumers and channels via Patton's Service Provider Partners. Patton offers product solutions for low-cost, high quality, pure-play or integrated internet, telephony and video solutions via partnerships with Service Providers and Carriers around the world.

VoIP Security Systems
Definition: VoIP Security Systems deliver security features to VoIP that VoIP technology lacks. Because many consumer VoIP solutions do not support encryption, VoIP user credentials are vulnerable to theft. Without VoIP security software in place VoIP users are vulnerable to Man-in-the Middle attacks; call tampering; Spamming over Internet Telephony (SPIT); Denial of Service (Dos); viruses and malware; eavesdropping and other security breaches.