Over the years, more and more small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Charlotte have switched to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system. This has enabled them to cut communication expenses, leverage advanced call functionalities, and take and make calls from anywhere.
Unfortunately, just like other online systems, VoIP systems can also be hacked. Once compromised, these can be used to eavesdrop on your business communications, steal confidential information, commit extortion and fraud, or launch cyberattacks. Therefore, you must constantly be on the lookout for these common signs of a hacked VoIP system.
Read also: How to tell if VoIP is right for your SMB
Irregular call history
Ask your VoIP service provider for a detailed copy of your call logs and look for any unusual activities such as:
- Calls being made to or coming from unknown numbers
- Calls being made to or coming from locations beyond your business’s operations
- Calls being made or taken during off-hours, weekends, or holidays
If you spot any of these suspicious activities, your VoIP system may have been hacked, so you need to report this right away to your service provider.
Moving forward, an easy preventative measure you can take is to establish geo-restrictions in your VoIP plan. By doing so, all attempted calls to or from outside of your chosen geographical locations will be blocked. Moreover, ask your provider to leverage call behavior monitoring algorithms, if they can. Such algorithms would allow them to easily analyze call behavior and quickly identify irregularities.
Unexpected increase in your phone bill
Like many other SMBs, you may have switched to a VoIP system to reduce your communication costs. If your phone bill shoots up unexpectedly, it may be a sign that your VoIP system has been compromised. Hackers commonly take advantage of VoIP systems by making numerous long-distance calls or calls to premium-rate telephone numbers. Some even leverage auto dialers to automatically dial many numbers from a database.
Regularly monitoring your call history for irregularities will help you catch hacking activities quickly to avoid future sudden spikes in your phone bills.
Site redirection and internet browser modification
Since it is expensive to manage two networks at the same time, SMBs usually use the same network for their VoIP system, emails, and documents. Given this, when hackers gain access to your VoIP system, they can also easily get into other areas of your network. You may then notice that your internet searches are being redirected to other — often potentially malicious — sites. You may also spot new extensions and toolbars installed in your browser without your knowledge.
One effective way to prevent VoIP hacking is to log out of the admin portal when you are not using the system.
Antivirus pop-up messages
While your VoIP system is on, do you or your employees receive pop-up alerts that say your system is infected and you must run an antivirus scan? If you answer yes, then a hacker may have already infiltrated your VoIP system. Make sure nobody clicks on those pop-ups, which are likely fake alerts that will execute malware or lead to malicious sites. Ask your service provider to shut down the network so they can identify the source of the fake antivirus messages and scan your system for malware.
Automatically activated microphones and webcams
When hackers get into your VoIP system, they can access your microphones and webcams to listen in on phone calls and conference calls or record conversations. This may enable them to obtain private and confidential company data, which they can then sell to competitors or other interested parties. Therefore, if you notice that your microphones and webcams are turned on without your permission, alert your service provider or system administrator immediately so they can check for other signs of hacking.
When you partner with SpectrumWise for your VoIP needs, you can rest easy knowing that your system is properly secured against cyberattacks and other cyberthreats. Schedule a consultation with us to get started.
