What are Best Practices and Tips to Increase Security in VoIP Networks?

Last updated on September 21st, 2023 at 09:15 am

Security in VoIP is one of the topmost concerns for businesses because multiple users and locations find a connection under the same network. And, if something goes wrong, there is a direct effect on the entire system, and everyone is affected.

But, don’t worry, folks. Your worst nightmare isn’t going to be accurate, especially when you follow the proper security practices. Yes, apt actions swear to keep your VoIP network safe and very well protected to avoid mess.

Now that you’re looking for effective ways to keep your network secured, these practices are sure to help you dwell in tranquillity. Let’s get going with discovering what these are:

Protect your Network with Secured, Unique Values, and Strong Passwords:

Taking security further is the first step towards setting up your Ooma: VoIP phone system network. Therefore, always use unique passwords and particular values.

By opting for this practice, you prevent hackers from guessing default values. It also keeps your network and the transferred information safe and secure. For instance, the professionals at Fanvil Distributors suggest checking if these are high-quality products to fit your business needs or not. And, why not, it is all about your business safety. They further add that it is never a good idea to allow concurrent VoIP sessions with similar security credentials. It is because by doing so, you open doors to hacker vulnerabilities.

Thus, turn a blind eye to the usage of aliases for E.164 alias for every username and password, especially while curating numbers and routing plans. You can also add an extra layer of protection by using unique pins at least four digits long.

And each endpoint must have different alias names. Suppose two endpoints try to register with a similar alias name. In that case, the endpoints must receive error messages to alert the administrator of duplicate values.

Place a Secured Authentication Practice for Call Signaling Protocols:

Whether you use H.225 or H.323, it’s vital to configure protocols with secured authentication practices.

To begin with, experts suggest avoiding the usage of standard H.323 authentication that makes use of MD5 hash and password. It is because this isn’t an encryption method and generates the same with 128-bit hash values. You can easily retrace the same using a process called replay.

Instead, wrap H.225 in a TLS tunnel, which you’ll use for session layer protection using H.323. Password hashing is one of the most common authentication methods. It consists of an MD5 hash password, a username, and a timestamp to create a particular and unique hash for each type of authentication request.

Just keep in mind that this process may have some vulnerable constituents- all thanks to the possible replay attacks. If you’re talking of H.225 signaling protocols, it is excellent to use a timestamp for NTP server authentication well in advance. Therefore, set the duration of the timestamp to not more than 15 minutes to prevent replay attacks.

Lastly, regardless of SIP, or IAX, the session protocols need authentication for unregistering an endpoint or user agent.

Encrypt your Communication using SIPS and SRTP:

Now that you’re looking to keep the information shared between a server and client safe and secure, network protection experts suggest SIPS or SIP as trusted protocols over SRTP or TLS. These protocols work excellently in encrypting the exchange of signaling the messages and audio traffic competently. The best part is that these also solve authentication, integrity, and confidentiality problems, most commonly seen in scenarios like these.

Using SIPS, you’re establishing a secure connection between IP PBX and IP endpoint- all thanks to TLS (Transport Layer Security). Experts suggest exchanging a key for forming a connected peer-to-peer relationship in the SSL tunnel, which helps signal the encrypted connection.

Something outstanding about SRTP and SIPS is that it helps encrypt all the information associated with call processing, call initiation, and audio traffic. For instance, during a call, all your data like voicemail, and caller ID are secured. And that’s great news because you’d been expecting the security of your audio file only during the exchange process.

Another thing to be sure of is that you use only the secured protocols, which are the devices that simultaneously support SRTP and SIPS. Note that the failure to do this restricts establishing a sound connection. Other encryption protocols include SSH for logging in remotely from one computer to another and HTTPS and SSL for linking a browser and web server.

Set up Secure Protocols and Processes for the Network:

It is essential to customize a plan that prevents weak and vulnerable networks from achieving maximum security in the VoIP network.

You can also go in for an out-of-band device management method from isolated as well as secure management networks. This device management also creates a secured path for managing the remote network without causing disruptions to the regular network traffic.

However, if you employ an in-band device management method, ensure that the in-band management is encrypted. Also, ensure that the VoIP management software logs the critical events and activities for review and audit.

The Bottom Line

It may seem impossible to overcome all the security problems, and some things may be inevitable. However, setting a plan of best practices and procedures works wonders in keeping your VoIP network safe and can put you a step ahead during a crisis.

Therefore, it is vital to develop a list of security items that apply to your network. Also, keep an eye on the areas that affect your business communication.