Telephony has never been the securest communication medium since its inception. And this shouldn’t come as a surprise to many. After all, phone tapping is a practice that has long been in effect by governments and even private entities. Landlines were the easiest to infiltrate, with the earliest examples coming from the first and second World Wars. Later, similar vulnerabilities were found in over-the-air (OTA) calls through GSM networks once cell phones came into existence. With the world moving towards adoption for end-to-end encryption to keep wiretapping at bay, what have VoIPs got in store to guarantee safety from bad actors?
What is VoIP?
For readers new to the topic, VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is a telephonic medium that requires the internet to work, in place of traditional wired infrastructure. VoIP was first developed in 1995 by VocalTec as a way to save money on long-distance and international calls. VocalTec then ventured into internet telephony fully with its custom internet phone for general consumers.
As the internet continued to mature, both in terms of speeds, bandwidth, and adoption, VoIP continued to gain traction and has now become the preferred mode of communication for businesses and residences alike. Some residential internet phone service providers don’t require additional hardware installation as smartphones enable them to offer call services through an app. All of that has made the popularity of VoIP surge and has even spawned numerous other internet telephonic protocols, such as VoLTE (Voice over LTE) and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).
How Does VoIP Work?
When compared to home phone service or analog connections, VoIP stands out with its unique method of operation. The former connections relied on wired infrastructure to work. This made installation and setup a laborious and expensive process, which meant trenches had to be dug manually to lay wires underground, or telephone poles erected to carry wires across towns, cities, and states.
VoIP connections do away with all the hardware infrastructure and rely entirely on the internet to function. Instead of audio being carried over wires, VoIP converts audio signals into digital packets, which are then relayed through the internet. These digital packets are then picked up by the recipient and reconverted to audio signals through the speakerphone.
To put it simply, VoIP enables you to make calls as effortlessly as you would send an email.
Is VoIP Foolproof?
Due to the nature of VoIP transmission, one could mistake it to be a perfectly secure way to conduct telephony, but the inverse is true. VoIP hacking is a widespread threat that many businesses and residences deal with every year. Just as other forms of cyberattacks are prevalent (and inevitable), similar cases exist for VoIP, too.
VoIP hacking is a type of cyberattack that targets VoIP business and residential connections. Post-attack, bad actors can listen to all calls and steal private information about you or your customers. That can lead to other attacks such as those on your credit cards, or private customer information.
Typically, social engineering scams of this nature usually occur when one of your employees or family member accidentally gives information to a scammer. These malpractices account for 97% of all malware attacks.
Common Types of VoIP Hacks and How to Prevent Them
VoIP phone systems naturally come with varying security risks because of their setup compared to analog phone systems. Here are the 4 most common types of hacks and how you can prevent them.
1. Unauthorized use
This is when hackers use your VoIP phone system to make calls using robocalling and auto-dialing software. Recipients of the call would be prompted to enter confidential information like credit card numbers which are then saved by hackers.
How to Avoid It: Choose the Right VoIP
There are different VoIP providers and the best ones focus on customer security the most. They have stronger encryption channels making it very difficult for hackers to gain access to your telephone line.
2. Caller ID spoofing
Caller ID isn’t always reliable when it comes to verifying who is calling you. Hackers often generate fake caller IDs and use these in combination with other methods.
How to Avoid It: Use Endpoint Filtering
Endpoint filtering limits connections to malicious sites and can even block certain websites that could download malware or make your number visible to bad actors. It strengthens the overall network connectivity and device integrity.
3. Eavesdropping
This is a major issue for businesses that take customer information over the phone. Hackers can listen in on your business calls and other voicemails. Luckily, this is only possible when the internet connection is unencrypted or the local network itself is breached.
How to Avoid It: Use VPNs
Use a VPN to secure your internet. Doesn’t get easier than that.
4. Social engineering
Studies indicate that 62% of businesses were targeted by a social engineering attack in 2018. This attack preys on people and not technology by forming relationships with victims. They can then trick you into providing sensitive information.
How to Avoid It: Monitor Call Logs
Call logs contain all the history of calls made and received. Unfamiliar numbers should be reported and blacklisted as soon as possible.
The Safest VoIP Available
Going by the aforementioned causes for most VoIP hacks, you would be inclined to think a safe and reliable alternative wouldn’t exist. But just as hackers are persistent in ruining your week, some VoIP providers ensure this isn’t a worry for your business or your home.
Axvoice VoIP service is available in USA and Canada. It can be used from any part of the world. Traveling with Axvoice saves money.
— Axvoice Inc. (@axvoiceinc) December 9, 2011
Axvoice is a residential internet phone service that has been in the game for quite some time and the company has raked in a reputation for being not only secure on all fronts but also being the most inexpensive option on the market.
Axvoice Features
The company’s tagline, “Big on Features, but Not on Price” is right on the money. There is simply no better way to describe the company’s philosophy more succinctly and accurately. That is because AXvoice offers some of the most complete set of outbound and incoming call features available on the market.
AXvoice features everything from Caller ID Blocking to Music on Hold. Call waiting, DND (Do Not Disturb), Blacklisting, Call Filters, and Call Forwarding are all supported on the platform, too.
Enhanced voicemail features allow users to check voicemails from an online dashboard, too, and the E911 Support functionality alerts 911 automatically, making it the best business and residential internet phone service.
Here is a list of all the other features included in the AXvoice service:
- Three-way calling
- Low-bandwidth codec support
- International call blocking
- Alternate caller ID
- Simultaneous Ring
- Failover in case IP is down
- Call logs
But perhaps what defines AXvoice and differentiates it from the rest, is the fact that it offers unlimited VoIP minutes for USA customers. Most other companies charge additional fees once you go over the monthly dialing cap, or have more expensive packages for uncapped plans, but AXvoice doesn’t.
Guaranteeing Safety
The keen-eyed amongst you must’ve already spotted the plethora of security-focused features AXvoice comes bundled with. Call filters, caller-ID blocking, DND, and blacklisting are all great options when your home or business is dealing with caller ID spoofing attacks or eavesdropping attempts.
AXvoice also features international call blocking to curtail any foreign threats and scammers. However, it doesn’t have a built-in VPN solution and would require a separate setup for your internet connection.
AXvoice Pricing
AXvoice has two plans for its customers: residential and business. The residential VoIP plan is the highest-rated one and comes with unlimited local- and long-distance calling. It offers free hardware and activation and starts from $8.25/month.
The AXvoice business plan is ideal for small-scale businesses that have begun their foray into VoIP telephony. The plan offers 200 outgoing minutes across the US and Canada and has more than 30 features bundled in. AXvoice also allows you to add multiple phone lines to one connection and has free hardware and activation. AXvoice’s business VoIP plan starts from $14.99/month.
All of this makes AXvoice a highly competitive offering for most homes and businesses, with most other VoIP providers charging 4–5 times as much for the same features.
Despite which VoIP service you eventually decide to pursue, focusing on the security aspects for additional peace of mind is vital. AXvoice provides that at a fraction of the cost and maybe the primary choice for most.
