Are VoIP Phones Safe?

Many ask this question. They have heard that making VoIP calls is basically insecure because it is possible for someone to...

• Listen to your conversation
• Use your VoIP account password to make calls
• Listen to your voicemail
• Send you spam in the form of telemarketer calls
• Disable your VoIP system by dos attacks
• Infest your computer with viruses, trojans and other undesirable bugs

Are these fears real?

Yes, unfortunately. A cyber criminal could do all these things and more - if you let him. Though it may sound unbelievable at first sight, it is mostly you that is responsible for the damage that a cyber thief could do to your VoIP system. This is because there are three ways that a cyber snooper can get at you - through your internet service provider, VoIP service provider or your own pc if there is any security lapse at any of these points.

As data theft has been attracting much attention, ISPs and VoIP service providers have become very security conscious and take very sturdy measures to protect their servers. So it is difficult, if not impossible, to get at them. This leaves your pc. If you aren't keeping safe you are literally letting in the troublemakers.
The point to keep in mind here is that VoIP works through internet and is prone to all the threats and attacks that are associated with internet - viruses, identity theft, phishing, spam, spyware. In other words your VoIP phone is as safe as your pc.

If your pc can be attacked so can be your VoIP system with the result that somebody could steal your password to make phone calls, send you spam telemarketer calls or disable your pc by dos attacks as well as listen to your phone calls.

Can All This Happen To You?
In theory anything is possible. And some, if not all, of these unpleasant things can happen to you if somebody targets you specifically. Otherwise there is very little likelihood that your VoIP phone would be tapped or somebody would be using your account to make long-distance calls.

This means that you need not worry too much when making a VoIP call. But it doesn't mean that you should disregard security measures altogether.

Security can be likened to insurance. You don't expect to be knocked down while crossing the street or have a head-on collision while driving. Even then most everybody thinks it a good idea of having some sort of life or accident insurance.

It is the same with VoIP or pc security. Hopefully nobody would hack your VoIP system or pc. But what if somebody does?

What to do
As VoIP travels on the internet which reaches you normally through your pc, this is where the security should begin. So secure your pc and you should have secure VoIP. And for that you have to do a few things.

First of all set a security level of your browser which is the gateway to everything that enters your pc by way of internet. The levels on IE range from High to Low. Decide on the level you are comfortable with.

Next on the line of defense are firewall and antivirus. They catch any nasty that goes past the browser security. Get antivirus software which updates itself to meet the new threats that emerge. And remember to turn on your firewall and antivirus before you access the internet.

Passwords are the keys to your pc and online accounts. Make it a point to use passwords that are not easy to hack. And when you have created such strong passwords, take care to protect them.

And if you are using VoIP phone to make sensitive business calls, use an adapter to connect your phone directly to the internet without going through your pc. This way your VoIP phone is insulated from the attacks that your pc may come under.

Do all this and your VoIP phone should be safe in most cases. But never let down your guard. Develop a security consciousness - be on the alert to learn about the threats that emerge and the ways to combat them. This is true of not only VoIP security but any security concern in our life.