There is little doubt that economics and functional benefit make VoIP a compelling proposition which is reflected in the adoption statistics. However, as ever more cyber security scandals and incidents of data hacking come to light, the need for encrypting VoIP communications is becoming more pressing. One statistic indicates that nearly 50 per cent of British businesses were affected by some form of cyber attack over the past year and it is estimated that by the year 2021, cyber crime could be costing businesses around £4 trillion across the world.
Essential protection
Telephony is a fundamental part of communications for just about every business. It can be used for day to day operational communications through to confidential, high-level discussions. Wherever sensitive information is being exchanged, protection is important which is why the encryption of exchanges and within the various elements of the telephony infrastructure itself becomes ever more vital.
Encryption was less of a pressing issue when more businesses were using ISDN for data and telephony exchange. ISDN was a digital service that also happened to offer tight security and gave hackers very few opportunities to gain access. Despite security advantages, the technology is being phased out and BT is planning to close down its ISDN networks completely by 2025 and base its communications services on Internet Protocol.
How wholesale VoIP termination can support your business
When a business chooses a provider such as IDT with an extensive international network, the business will benefit from the competitive rates that the provider can offer for termination in a range of countries. This is particularly valuable for businesses trading or dealing with other nations.
Using the internet for email or instant messaging has become familiar and easy and most of us now find using the internet for communications similarly easy and inexpensive. The downside of this can be its vulnerability to attack. This is why it is also important to choose a VoIP provider which can offer tailored security solutions to suit your business. Packets of data that are being exchanged require the same approach to security as any other digital communications within a business.
Some hackers want to steal data to sell on the dark web or elsewhere, and some are simply malicious and want to cause damage to an enterprise. In some cases, hackers simply want to embarrass or humiliate an organisation.
The recent introduction of GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation, has brought further attention to the issues of cyber security. More businesses are now thinking about the levels of security currently in place for their communications and how vulnerable they might be to hackers or data theft.
Encryption provides a high level of security and protection from data hackers. For businesses that are just starting to embrace VoIP and its many advantages, looking at encryption could be a worthwhile investment in protecting data. By encrypting communications on VoIP, businesses can enjoy the same level of protection as they had with ISDN networks.
