As a business owner, you should be aware of the different cyberattacks that can hurt your company. One of these is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) eavesdropping. This occurs when cybercriminals infiltrate your VoIP network and listen in on your calls in hopes of stealing critical business information. To prevent this, you should implement the proper defenses for your VoIP phone systems.

Change the default configurations of your VoIP system

Using your VoIP phones without changing the default configurations can be the worst mistake you can make. These days, it’s easy for hackers to search vendor documentation for things like default usernames and passwords. Depending on your VoIP provider and phone model, you should have the option of changing the default login credentials on your handsets.

Get updates from your handset vendor

In 2015, Cisco detected vulnerabilities in their VoIP phones that enabled attackers to listen in on phone conversations. Cisco quickly released security alerts to inform their customers about these vulnerabilities, giving them enough time to address the issues. The lesson here is you must regularly monitor advisories from your hardware vendor or work with an IT provider that does so for you. Without proper monitoring, you won’t know how susceptible your corporate VoIP phones are to eavesdropping.

Update session border controllers

Another way to combat VoIP eavesdropping is to constantly update your session border controllers (SBCs). By doing so, you’ll be updating your VoIP’s antivirus software, which means your systems are better protected from constantly evolving cyberthreats. Routine SBC updates are essential for securing SIP trunking as well as responding to new threats.

Encrypt VoIP calls

If you work in a regulated industry like healthcare or finance, encrypting VoIP calls is essential to staying compliant. Work with your VoIP provider and auditors to determine the best encryption options for your communications infrastructure. Many cloud VoIP providers offer call encryption guidelines, and some even offer it as a premium service.

Build a hardened VoIP network

Make sure your VoIP network has:

• IP private branch exchange (PBX) using minimal services, so that the hardware can only power the PBX software
• Firewalls with access control lists set to include call control information
• Lightweight Directory Access Protocol lookup, and signaling and management protocol
• Reinforced endpoint security with authentication at the endpoint level

To effectively defend against VoIP eavesdropping, businesses need to take a holistic approach to cybersecurity. This includes enforcing policies, deployment, and security practices that will keep malicious agents out of your network. Feel free to contact us for further information on how to protect your business.

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The Android operating system is open source, which makes customization and app development easy. The problem is that cybercriminals can also access Android’s programming code, find vulnerabilities, and distribute malware through app stores. Here are some things you must do to avoid an infection.

Confirm the malware infection

Android devices usually exhibit strange behaviors when they’re infected with malware. A device may suddenly slow to a crawl or the battery may drain faster than expected. Other telltale signs include an abundance of pop-up ads, unusual apps installed on your home screen, unexplained data usage, and unauthorized in-app purchases.

However, it’s not always easy to tell if your device was compromised, especially since hackers are becoming more proficient at concealing their actions. The best way to check for malware is to run an antivirus scan with a mobile security solution.

How to get rid of malware

If malware has infected your device, the most important thing to do is quarantine the threat as soon as possible. Start by rebooting your device in safe mode, which can be selected when you hold down the power button. Not all versions of Android are the same though, so if this isn’t an option, try restarting your device and holding the volume-down button when the manufacturer’s logo appears.

Once you’ve entered safe mode, go to Settings, then Apps, and uninstall any suspicious apps. A quick Google search or a conversation with your cybersecurity technician should help you determine whether or not an app is dangerous.

If you can’t uninstall the software, it might have administrative privileges. To fix this, open the Advanced settings menu from the Settings app, then select Security, then Device administrators, remove any app that shouldn’t have privileged access, and return to the Apps menu to uninstall it. Mobile security software should also be able to remove malicious programs hiding in your device.

If the malware persists, you’ll have to do a factory reset. This option is usually located in the Backup & reset configurations within the Advanced settings menu. Keep in mind that you’ll lose the apps and files stored in your device, so it’s important to back up your data beforehand.

Protecting your device from malware

After you’ve successfully recovered from a mobile malware infection, make sure to update your device and security software to prevent another infection. Enabling Google Play Protect from within the app store also safeguards your device from rogue apps.

When all is said and done, the best defense is to develop good security habits. Be cautious of everything you see online. Make sure to thoroughly vet apps before downloading them and don’t click on links from unsolicited texts and emails. Also, avoid public Wi-Fi networks or, at the very least, use a virtual private network (VPN) to secure the connection.

Malware attacks can be devastating to your bottom line, but these tips should mitigate the risks. If you want to learn more about how you can safeguard your Android devices, our experts are always willing to assist you. Contact us today.

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Do you spend hours obsessing about the inner workings of DNS-layer security, intrusion prevention systems, and data encryption? If you’re not a managed IT services provider (MSP), you probably don’t. Instead, you’re probably looking for a business partner to manage those nitty-gritty details for you. However, there’s one thing you really ought to know: What exactly are “proactive cybersecurity” measures?

Understand the threats you’re facing

Before any small- or medium-sized business (SMB) can work toward preventing cyberattacks, everyone involved needs to know exactly what they’re up against. Whether you’re working with in-house IT staff or an MSP, you should review what types of attacks are most common in your industry. Ideally, your team would do this a few times a year.

Reevaluate what it is you’re protecting

Now that you have a list of the biggest threats to your organization, you need to take stock of how each one threatens the various cogs of your network. Map out every company device that connects to the internet, what services are currently protecting those devices, and what type of data they have access to (regulated, mission-critical, low-importance, etc.).

Create a baseline of protection

By reviewing current trends in the cybersecurity field and auditing your current technology framework, you can begin to get a clearer picture of how you want to prioritize your preventative measures versus your reactive measures.

Before you can start improving your cybersecurity approach, you need to know where your baseline is. Devise a handful of real-life scenarios and simulate them on your network. Network penetration testing from trustworthy IT professionals will help pinpoint weak spots in your current framework.

Finalize a plan

All these pieces will complete the puzzle of what your new strategy needs to be. With an experienced technology consultant on board for the entire process, you can easily synthesize the results of your simulation into a multi-pronged approach to proactive security:

• Security awareness seminars that coach all internal stakeholders – train everyone from the receptionist to the CEO about effective security practices such as password management, proper mobile device usage, and spam awareness
• Front-line defenses like intrusion prevention systems and hardware firewalls – scrutinize everything trying to sneak its way in through the borders of your network
• Routine checkups for software updates, licenses, and patches – minimize the chance of leaving a backdoor to your network open
• Web-filtering services – blacklist dangerous and inappropriate sites for anyone on your network
• Updated antivirus software – protect your data and systems against the latest and most menacing malware

As soon as you focus on preventing downtime events instead of reacting to them, your IT infrastructure will increase your productivity and efficiency to levels you’ve never dreamed of. Start enhancing your cybersecurity by giving us a call for a demonstration.

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There has been a movement among technology providers to promise “proactive” cyber security consulting. Small- and medium-sized businesses love the idea of preventing cyber-attacks and data breaches before they happen, and service providers would much rather brainstorm safeguards than troubleshoot time-sensitive downtime events. But it’s not always clear what proactive cyber-security means, so let’s take a minute to go over it.

Understand the threats you’re facing

Before any small- or medium-sized business can work toward preventing cyber-attacks, everyone involved needs to know exactly what they’re fighting against. Whether you’re working with in-house IT staff or an outsourced provider, you should review what types of attack vectors are most common in your industry. Ideally, your team would do this a few times a year.

Reevaluate what it is you’re protecting

Now that you have a list of the biggest threats to your organization, you need to take stock of how each one threatens the various cogs of your network. Map out every device that connects to the internet, what services are currently protecting those devices, and what type of data they have access to (regulated, mission-critical, low-importance, etc.).

Create a baseline of protection

By reviewing current trends in the cyber-security field, alongside an audit of your current technology framework, you can begin to get a clearer picture of how you want to prioritize your preventative measure versus your reactive measures.

Before you can start improving your cyber-security approach, you need to know where the baseline is. Create a handful of real-life scenarios and simulate them on your network. Network penetration testing from trustworthy IT professionals will help pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in your current framework.

Finalize a plan

All these pieces will complete the puzzle of what your new strategies need to be. With an experienced technology consultant onboard for the entire process, you can easily parse the results of your simulation into a multi-pronged approach to becoming more proactive:

• Security awareness seminars that coach everyone — from receptionists to CEOs — about password management and mobile device usage.
• “Front-line” defenses like intrusion prevention systems and hardware firewalls that scrutinize everything trying to sneak its way in through the front door or your network.
• Routine checkups for software updates, licenses, and patches to minimize the chance of leaving a backdoor to your network open.
• Web-filtering services that blacklist dangerous and inappropriate sites for anyone on your network.
• Antivirus software that specializes in the threats most common to your industry.

As soon as you focus on preventing downtime events instead of reacting to them, your technology will begin to increase your productivity and efficiency to levels you’ve never dreamed of. Start enhancing your cyber-security by giving us a call for a demonstration.

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