
Enterprises adopting
VoIP technologies need to pay attention to security issues in order to stay ahead, it is claimed.
According to a VoIP case study reported by Security Focus, hackers could be nipped in the bud if businesses begin taking steps against potential security risks.
The authors describe that like the internet and wireless networks,
VoIP products are an entry point into a corporate network and a route to critical resources.
In light of the increasing number of converged networks based on VoIP technologies, the article covers various added security risks.
These include implementing a VoIP network "without proper layer two network controls in place" and the threat of attack when
VoIP phones are located outside the corporate network.
But firms can take precautions to ensure their VoIP systems are protected.
The experts told Security Focus: "The enterprise that begins protecting against these potential risks will find themselves ahead of the curve if hackers ever turn their full attention to VoIP."
The most serious threat to a network is a "distributed denial of service attack, which floods networks with spurious traffic or server requests" leading to a fall in service quality and malfunctioning IP handsets, Silicon reports.