Secure your voice services amid a rise in telephony fraud cases

Telephony fraud can happen when a hacker gains access to a company's phone system and profits from the calling system at the organisation’s expense. Enterprises that use a private telephone network should consider setting up a private branch exchange (PBX). These phone systems generally involve a third party provider for external calls.

These phone lines are secure but can also be vulnerable to telephony fraud if the appropriate security is not in place. There are several ways businesses can prevent PBX hacking and fraud and ensure that their phone lines are not exploited.

Due to less stringent regulations and legal recourse, Africa has been a hotbed for telephony fraud in recent years. Businesses should secure their voice services so that they are not used to defraud unsuspecting customers and potential new clientele. It can be highly damaging for a company's reputation if their phone lines are hacked.

A multifaceted approach to securing voice services

Just like other types of security, cyber security is multifaceted. Consider the protection that you have for your car - you keep the doors locked and you might also have an immobiliser or tracking device. But if you leave your car open with the key in the ignition, there is very little that the tracking device can do to prevent your car from being stolen.

Cyber security is similar in that you need to be able to monitor and track your digital assets but also take a proactive stance towards threats. You need to prevent fraudsters from infiltrating the system in the first place. Creating a secure telephony system is like keeping your car locked in a secure garage.

Benefits of cloud-based voice services

With cloud-based PBX voice services, tech teams can implement high levels of cyber security in their telephony system. A cloud-based system consolidates all parts of the voice service.

Whether it's for internal comms, national or international calls, the telephony system should have a certain level of cyber protection. Covering multiple branches, call centres and remote teams working from home, cloud-based PBX ensures advanced protection against cyber attacks.

Enterprise-grade voice services can offer direct routing for voice PBX. This means that companies benefit from an integrated voice system while enjoying their choice of third-party telecoms provider. Businesses can make and receive calls directly through their dedicated telephony service provider.

Microsoft Teams, for example, offers seamless integration with most major telecoms providers. This cloud-based PBX service ensures optimal performance and high levels of security. With unified communications, security is streamlined and the telephony system benefits from firewalls and endpoint protection.

The cost of telephony fraud to business

Why is it necessary to prevent telephony fraud and how can it impact your bottom line? There are a number of ways hackers can make a profit through a telephony system. One of the most profitable is by using your system to call premium rate numbers. With these types of calls, the caller is charged a fixed rate per minute. You end up paying for the call and the hackers generate profit through the unauthorised use of your phone system.

Another clever way that fraudsters can make money out of a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service is by selling phone cards that route calls through your VoIP system. The fraudster gets money from selling the cards, but doesn't incur the calling costs. Instead, the compromised voice system needs to foot the bill.

The third type of telephony fraud is similar to e-mail scamming. Hackers use your telephony system to make scam calls; they can pretend to be calling from a legitimate source, such as your business. In doing so, they also minimise the expense of their fraud. It can be difficult for authorities to track down and detect these sorts of cases.

All three types of telephony fraud generally target high cost international destinations. It is essential for South African businesses to protect themselves by appropriately securing their voice systems.

Securing your voice services

With an integrated cloud-based PBX system, it's much easier to prevent a range of telephony fraud. The voice system can be configured and monitored from a remote console. This gives IT leaders high visibility and control. Telephony fraud can be extremely costly to companies, not just in terms of a damaged reputation, but also when fraudsters rack up extremely high call costs. It is estimated that the global cost of telephony fraud is $29 billion a year.

With cloud-based PBX, administrators can put the appropriate security protocols in place. This may mean disabling premium rate international numbers, setting limits for international calls, or setting up alerts for calls that happen outside normal working hours.

Businesses benefit from real-time data and analytics, giving excellent insight into what is happening in the telephony system at all times. Advanced monitoring can detect unusual call behaviour; automated alerts will trigger and notify administrators when calls are placed on high cost routes.

SEACOM Business offers cloud-based PBX services to enterprises in South Africa. Customers can enjoy direct routing with the telecoms provider of their choice. For more information or to get a quote for our voice PBX or cyber security solutions, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

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