Protect Yourself Against Top VoIP Security Threats

You must protect data, information, and confidentiality in your company. Nowadays that is not an easy thing to do. Hackers and snoopers of all sorts are constantly scavenging for information. You should assume that your company has been targeted and take appropriate action. 

One of the most effective ways to keep your voice communications secure is to install a VoIP phone system. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is an alternative to the conventional telephone systems, which is also known as a public switched telephone network. VoIP is used by companies that have a distributed management and operations organization. If your company has people and business units all around the world, it is more practical and less costly to have a cloud-based phone systems.

There are plenty of companies that offer VoIP services. Radio communications are a bit more challenging to secure. More field based personnel are using digital mobile radio communications today. Using encrypted radio over IP (RoIP) is how to lock down those conversations. Security is one of the most important features of VoIP and RoIP systems. You and your colleagues should be able to make secure voice calls over ip but may require a communications system integrator to configure the encrypted VoIP to radio over IP components. 

How VoIP Works

In VoIP, calls are established using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). A connection is made between two parties over the Internet backbone. The SIP server compresses voice traffic into digital streams and sends them through this connection. 

Companies have shifted to VoIP because it is cost-effective and flexible. If a large section of your workforce regularly works from home, using a VoIP network allows everyone to keep in contact and to share data and information. VoIP and computer systems use the same network, which means that your IT staff or IT provider must maintain only one secure network. 

The Realities of VoIP Security

The lower costs, increasing popularity and accessibility of VoIP makes it a target of attackers who wish to exploit it. The placement of malware on VoIP systems, the breaching of databases, and the institution of payment fraud are just some of the many threats and breaches that have occurred in VoIP networks. It is estimated that the cost of such breaches reached $8.1 million in the United States in 2019. Healthcare, finance, and energy are the industries most affected by VoIP hackers and cyber criminals. 

The top threats to VoIP systems include:

1. Denial of service 

This attack saps resources from the network to interrupt phones service.

2. War dialing 

In this attack, the assailant seizes control of your hosted PBX and uses it to scan other telephone networks. 

3. Phishing 

In this type of attack, unsuspecting victims are lured into divulging passwords and other sensitive data. 

5. Spam 

Involves the use of robocalls and other phone scams.

6. Malware 

This uses malicious software to infiltrate your network and gather sensitive data and information.

A typical communication systems company in the USA can make sure you own secure, quality products and you as the customer are completely satisfied. If you are looking for ways to improve your company’s communications system, you should make the switch to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP).

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Dispatchers Today Need Communication Tools that are Diverse

Controlling costs and streamlining your fleet dispatching processes are at the core of many service-oriented companies where you have a crew in the field. The advances in communication technology never takes a break so chances are that the technology you implemented only three years ago is now old news. Today dispatch operators are reaching field personnel via digital mobile radios, SMS push notifications, cellular data transmissions and rich media packets sent via VPN’s to tablets.

Security of your communication transmissions is even more important today than it was three years ago too. Orion Systems are experts in programming encryption protocols for the voice and data packets sent via their dispatcher consoles since they have been supplying solutions to the US military for over 30 years. Our systems also offer extra features such as GPS-transmitted location services, remote monitoring, temporary disabling of devices and emergency management which can be employed for many different applications.

Real-time tracking of any asset’s location helps dispatchers better understand potential scheduling challenges and allows you to see whether staff are approaching high-risk zones or moving outside their authorized areas. Our dispatch consoles can also remotely monitor a radio’s microphone and a supervisor will be able to effectively determine a user’s safety and wellbeing.

If one of your vehicle radios is stolen or interfering with normal communications, allowing you to disable a unit while still tracking its physical location which can be beneficial especially in cases of emergency.

Boosting Productivity

When it comes to communicating efficiently with a fleet of mobile radios using VoIP radio networks, Orion Systems dispatch consoles is a wonderful addition to your communications arsenal.

One of the key benefits to your productivity is that cell phones can be integrated into a system and used to connect with both radio users and cellular devices. The solution allows you use existing digital mobile radios, properly configured Android operating systems with a PTT feature while streamlining communication channels.

Orion Systems Inc is a communications systems company in the USA proficient at radio over IP applications. Our dispatcher consoles are affordable solutions and can be customized to your specific needs. We are also experts at secure voice communications for command and control consoles.

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Is Tactical LTE a Good Fit for Field Communications?

Are you interested in a long-term evolution of your tactical field communications? LTE technology has a lot to offer communication teams in military, commercial, law enforcement, municipal and similar mission critical organizations. However, whether is it a good fit and a worthwhile investment is a more complex question than the features it offers.

Is Your Operating Environment a Good fit for Tactical LTE?

Consider the weather, terrain and consistency of the operating environment. Ask yourself these questions:

• - How common is intense weather such as heavy storms and low clouds?
• - What are the common natural barriers such as mountains, valleys and bodies of water?
• - How much control does your team have over the environmental conditions?

LTE is an excellent choice in stable, domestic settings. However, it can face challenges in tumultuous areas, regions with significant natural barriers and very remote areas. Line-of-sight obstructions may make tactical use of LTE challenging.

Nonetheless, the technology can be useful in tactical situations. The U.S. Navy began using LTE in 2012. Furthermore, when combined with satellite communication in a redundant system, LTE can be highly effective even in challenging environments.

What Are Your Alternatives?

Evaluate your alternative technologies. These may include government and private-sector satellite communications, civilian cellular networks, UHF radio communications and other similar options.
Typically, the most effective field communication solutions combine two or more alternative technologies. Relying on any single solution can be a significant risk. The security of communication networks is an important consideration. Over-reliance on private-sector and civilian networks may expose you to unnecessary vulnerabilities. A closed LTE network could be a viable answer to security concerns.

How Can Tactical LTE Be Deployed?

If tactical LTE seems like a viable solution for your circumstances, it may be time to take steps towards its application. This process is often easiest with an experienced communications systems company working to provide insight and guidance.

One key challenge is ensuring communications interoperability for radios. If you have a communication system that leans on a radio dispatch console for routing LTE, radio frequencies and satellite, you want to avoid a situation in which your users need significant technical knowledge to use the system. The ideal situation is one in which the communication needs can be routed through a command and control console, enabling the communications team to manage which networks are used when.

This approach alleviates the need for field operators to make determinations about their communication methods. It can also help you make sure your technologies are used as efficiently as possible. This is particularly important in turbulent environments such as warzones or during severe weather.

LTE can be a powerful tactical-communications tool. However, it is only effective when deployed in a thought-out and fully developed model.

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