Connecting your phone system to the internet may seem like a recipe for disaster but the latest SIP trunking technology won’t leave you with a nasty taste in your mouth.
The internet can seem like a dangerous place, with all manner of hazards waiting to disrupt your business. Newspapers regularly report on all kinds of online attacks:
› Hacking resulting in fraud or the loss of valuable company data. Hacking of VoIP systems costs businesses $3.6 billion (£2.1 billion) worldwide in 2013.
› Malware in the form of viruses, worms and Trojan Horses.
› Distributed> Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that bring a company’s IT system to its knees.
With news like this, it’s understandable that your business might be cautious about moving to a telecoms system that connects your company PBX to the internet. Such caution needs to be tempered by a sense of proportion. All over the world, companies of all sizes are sending valuable files and data across the internet and are reaping the benefits. As a result there has been massive growth and trust in the use of cloud-based technologies, including voice.
The key is having processes in place to protect your business. Reports of phone fraud, whereby hackers gain access to a company’s telecom system and then use it to make unauthorised calls (often to premium service lines), can make using the internet for telephony services look like a risky venture, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
If your company’s calls are being sent across the public internet without encryption, then there is a risk of them being intercepted by unauthorised parties. But if calls are sent through secure channels with security measures in place, they can be easily protected.
SIP trunking services can provide a secure telecoms system for your business. Further to this, by using SIP, your business can enjoy the benefits on offer, from lower call costs to greater flexibility.
It’s important to choose a provider that takes security seriously
Before opting for a SIP trunking service provider, ask them a few questions:
› Do they control and manage their own network?
› What security measures do they have in place? Is there constant network monitoring, for example?
› Do they provide fraud management services as standard?
For many years, companies have been using the internet to transfer data securely across the globe. Today, thousands of companies are using SIP to make calls that are clearer, cheaper and more secure. Make sure your company is getting the benefits of a cost-effective, secure SIP trunking solution.
