No One Should Go Without a Landline Phone

Securing Your VoIP System

12 January 2016

Carl Collins

Several businesses are giving up their traditional phone system for a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system, because they are fairly inexpensive to install and operate. In fact, other than updating your office's network cabling if needed, you don't need to worry about a complicated installation process at all. VoIP phone systems operate using your company's Internet connection.

Because of this, VoIP systems are cheaper than landline systems, but if they aren't properly protected, they are also vulnerable to hackers. To keep your company's vital information protected and viruses from getting into your system, learn how to ramp up security on VoIP systems before you have yours installed.

Choose a Strong Password

Cracking your password is the first step to hacking into your system. Consider your password your company's first line of defense against hackers, and take the time to create one that hackers aren't likely to crack. Make sure your password contains upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Also, avoid using obvious password combinations, such as passwords that contain personal information like your name or birthday, and don't use a password generator to create a password for you. Online password generators typically have a certain number of passwords that are generated. So, it's easy for hackers to make note of the passwords generated and use the results to hack into various computer systems.

Limit System Access

One of the nice things about using a VoIP phone system is that you have the option to limit the amount of people who have access to your system. You do this by whitelisting specific IP addresses. If an IP address that isn't whitelisted tries to gain access to your system, it's denied. If you have a larger company, it may take some time to get every IP address whitelisted so that you can use your new VoIP system, but in the long run it's worth the time. Whitelisting IP addresses also gives you complete control over who accesses your network remotely, because before working from a remote location, an employee has to have that specific IP address whitelisted.

Test and Update Software Regularly

Have a professional test a update your company's network on a regular basis to ensure it's protected properly. A network security professional can test your VoIP system's security features, update any part of your system that needs updated, and test your network cabling to make sure there aren't any areas that need to be repaired or replaced.

Overall, switching from a standard phone line to a VoIP system has several benefits. Not only is it cost-effective, it makes it easier for your employees to work off site. Just make sure you take proper security measures when installing and using your VoIP system to make sure your network remains secure.

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