The Value of VoIP Security
Wednesday, 7 July 2004 18:38 EST



VoIP is the future for voice communications. However, it does introduce new security issues. Vulnerabilities include things common to any IP service, and some that are uniquely a result of the complexity and real-time requirements of the voice service. Many can be addressed by implementing general IP security, protecting IP PBXs, engineering the network for security, protecting IP phones, and deploying VoIP-optimized firewalls. But first thing's first: understand the vulnerabilities; then follow some basic security recommendations.

As telephony continues to migrate to Voice Over IP (VoIP), enterprises will continue to use a hybrid network, consisting of both circuit-switched and VoIP equipment. During this transition, existing security issues with circuit-switched networks will continue and new issues will emerge with VoIP.

Circuit-switched network vulnerabilities include toll fraud, theft of service, attacks on authorized modems, use of unauthorized modems, and eavesdropping in the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). These issues will persist as long as the circuit-switched network is present -- and some, such as toll fraud and theft of service, may become much more severe.

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