OTYC Blog

Around 12 WiFi VoIP handsets and deskphones have been tested by top security experts, who say that security problems range from potential denial-of-service attacks to more severe problems that allow “deep access” to the handset that lets unscrupulous individual get hold of any sensitive information on the phone.

Problems like this inevitable. So whose responsibility is it to forestall them? It has been suggested that if we see practices like this continue as these devices as used more widely then the manufacturers will only have themselves to blame when the security issues put people off VoIP altogether.

Voice over IP hacking is the contemporary version of war dialing - a strategy of automatically scanning telephone numbers using a modem, usually ringing every phone number in a local area to find where computers or fax machines are available, then attempting to access them by guessing passwords.

Still there are actions people can take to mitigate the risk. Here’s a list of WiFi VOIP security issues, and some useful ways to guard against them:

Many points of attack:
As the telephones get more advanced, so could the points of entry for would be hackers. Email, client Web browsers, Bluetooth, SMS, WiFi, media players, and image viewers could all give hackers a point of entry. Though users can use open-source and commercial tools to regularly test their phones and networks, they’ll ultimately have to rely on vendors to also do thorough testing on these VoIP phones.

Targeting phones in public environments:
One way of doing this is a Bluetooth scanner could be hidden at the entrance to a major airport or train station and be used to grab user data. It may be best to keep Bluetooth and other wireless features swicthed off when not needed.

Rogue access points:
Other than this when at the office or on the road, customers will have to always be wary and scan for rogue access points. Hackers will set up access points to target specifically WiFi phones in the corporate space as well as at conferences and other places business people like to come together. Good device authentication and encryption can help provide protection here.

Specific attacks:
Targeted attacks on specific voice-over-wireless networks may also be an issue, albeit one that the victims may prefer to keep quiet.