Voice security is a critical yet often overlooked component of modern business operations, particularly for call centers. As businesses increasingly rely on call centers to connect with customers, safeguarding voice communications has never been more important. Yet, while most companies have invested heavily in security for their data networks, they have frequently paid less attention to voice security. This gap leaves businesses vulnerable to a wide range of telephony and call center threats, even though the impact of an attack on a voice network can be just as devastating as an attack on a data network. To improve voice security, organizations must adopt advanced technologies for call filtering, call authentication, and AI-driven threat detection to strengthen their defenses and protect sensitive communications and data.

Why Voice Security Matters

Voice communications are a cornerstone of customer interaction and internal collaboration for businesses. Call centers handle sensitive customer information, such as credit card numbers, personal identification data, and account details. A breach in voice or call center security can have significant consequences, including:

  • Financial Loss Cybercriminals can use techniques like call fraud, spoofing, and social engineering to steal funds, data, and identities through interactions with call centers. The resulting financial impact on a business can be substantial, affecting both revenues and customer trust.
  • Compliance Violations Companies in industries such as healthcare and finance must adhere to strict regulations like HIPAA and PCI DSS. These regulations mandate that sensitive customer data is secured against unauthorized access. Failing to secure voice communications can result in significant fines, legal action, and operational disruptions.
  • Reputation Damage Customers expect their interactions, including phone calls, to be handled securely, so a security breach can erode customer trust, leading to loss of business, and long-term brand damage. When a breach occurs, it signals to customers that their personal information is not safe, leading to decreased loyalty and negative public perception. Businesses may find it challenging to regain their market share after such an incident.

Common Threats to Voice Security

Key threats to voice security include:

  1. Call Spoofing Attackers manipulate caller ID to impersonate legitimate entities, tricking victims into divulging sensitive information. This type of attack exploits the trust individuals place in caller ID systems, making it a highly effective tactic for extracting sensitive data such as passwords or account details.

  2. Vishing (Voice Phishing) Cybercriminals use fraudulent calls to deceive individuals into providing confidential data. Often disguised as calls from trusted organizations like banks or government agencies, these scams use fear and urgency to convince victims to share sensitive information or perform actions like transferring funds.

  3. Toll Fraud Hackers exploit PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems to make unauthorized international calls at the victim’s expense. These attacks can result in significant financial losses, as businesses are often left to cover the costs of unauthorized call charges.

  4. TDoS (Telephony Denial of Service) Attacks Attackers overload a voice system with traffic to disrupt services. By flooding the network with malicious traffic, attackers make it impossible for legitimate calls to be processed, leading to operational downtime and frustrated customers.

  5. Call Fraud This involves the manipulation or exploitation of voice systems to make unauthorized calls or extract financial gains. Fraudsters may use compromised accounts to place premium rate calls or access sensitive data, resulting in financial losses and operational disruptions.

  6. Robocalls These automated calls are a nuisance to consumers and call centers, but they can also be dangerous when used for scams or fraudulent offers.

  7. Data Breaches Attackers often target voice networks as they seek to access an organization’s broader IT network and data. A compromised voice network can lead to the exposure of customer records, intellectual property, or other critical information.

  8. Insider Threats Employees or contractors with access to voice systems may misuse their privileges to steal sensitive information or sabotage systems.

Best Practices for Voice Security

Businesses may implement multiple technologies and practices to improve voice security.

  • Deploy call filtering: Call filtering technology proactively screens voice traffic to identify and block suspicious or harmful communications, such as robocalls or fraudulent calls. By analyzing patterns, caller IDs, and other metadata, these systems ensure only legitimate calls are allowed through.
  • Use call authentication: Call authentication solutions and caller ID verification technologies combat spoofing and vishing. Authenticating callers ensures that only legitimate users can access sensitive services, reducing the risk of fraud and impersonation attacks. For example, 911 call authentication helps ensure that inbound calls to emergency services are legitimate callers in need of help.
  • Implement TDoS protection: TDoS protection Deploy systems that can detect and mitigate TDoS attacks to maintain uninterrupted call center operations. These protections monitor and filter malicious traffic, ensuring that legitimate calls can still be processed even during an attempted attack.
  • Monitor and log voice traffic: Use tools to detect and respond to unusual call patterns or unauthorized access attempts. Continuous monitoring can identify potential security breaches in real-time, helping businesses take immediate action to prevent or mitigate threats.
  • Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA): Secure access to call center systems with MFA to reduce the risk of unauthorized access. By requiring users to verify their identity using two or more factors, such as a password and a mobile verification code, businesses can strengthen their defenses against unauthorized intrusions.
  • Regularly update and patch systems: Keep VoIP software, PBX systems, and inbound call center software up to date. Regular updates ensure that systems are protected against known exploits and vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of cyberattacks that target outdated software.
  • Train employees: Educate call center staff about phishing and vishing attacks, social engineering, and secure handling of sensitive information. Proper training ensures that employees can recognize and respond to potential security threats, minimizing the risk of human errors that could lead to a breach.
  • Secure IVR systems: Use robust authentication mechanisms and limit access to sensitive functions within IVR systems. Strengthening IVR security prevents unauthorized users from exploiting automated systems to retrieve confidential data or disrupt services.

SecureLogix: Industry-Leading Solutions for Voice Security

SecureLogix is a voice security pioneer, dedicated solely to protecting enterprise phone systems and contact centers from threats like fraud, spoofing, robocalls, and TDoS attacks. With a comprehensive suite of solutions for call security, call authentication, and call trust, we secure both inbound and outbound call communications while reducing costs and improving efficiency. Trusted by some of the world’s largest organizations, our solutions are developed and backed by the most experienced call security experts in the industry.

SecureLogix® Orchestra One™: Effective, Affordable Call Center Authentication

Orchestra One™ combines automated, inbound call authentication technology with outbound call spoofing protection for a complete voice security solution. With Orchestra One™, your agents can stop putting callers through frustrating and costly security interrogations. As a result, you can reduce call times and per-call costs while enhancing productivity, increasing security, and improving customer experiences.

Orchestra One™ dynamically orchestrates the call authentication process using a variety of metadata services to assign a risk score to every call, verifying trusted callers before they reach your call center agents. By combining multiple zero-cost and low-cost metadata services with real-time carrier network metadata and thousands of call details, this SecureLogix solution authenticates each call at the lowest per-call price.

Key Benefits:

  • Increase Customer Satisfaction by eliminating frustrating security interrogations and allowing agents to get right to work on customer issues.
  • Reduce Call Duration by up to 30 seconds with automated call verification.
  • Reduce the Cost of Authentication by 50% over competitors.

Call Defense™ System

SecureLogix Call Defense™ System sits at the edge of your voice network to deliver industry-leading protection for voice channels and business calls. By filtering good voice traffic from bad, the Call Defense™ System reduces unwanted calls and keeps voice networks safe and secure from fraud, attacks, and business disruption.

Key Components:

  • Call Firewall: Provides enterprise-wide visibility and enforces security policies across the voice network.
  • Call Intrusion Prevention (IPS): Detects call pattern attacks and identifies anomalies while enforcing call volume thresholds and traffic velocity limits.
  • Reporting Forensics: Provides instant insight into voice network usage, CDR analytics, and call fraud forensics through scheduled and ad hoc reports.

Call Secure™ Managed Service

This fully managed service combines the call protection technology of the Call Defense™ System with the insights and expertise of the most experienced call security experts in the industry. Call Secure™ is vendor and protocol agnostic – it supports all network architectures and any mix of TDM and SIP traffic. With proactive monitoring of new attacks and malicious calls, Call Secure™ Managed Service enhances voice security while increasing visibility through the voice network.

Key Benefits:

  • Complete Protection: Defend your voice network from fraud, spoofing, and robocalls.
  • Eliminate Disruption: Block call spam and unwanted nuisance calls.
  • Integrate Easily: Call Secure™ integrates easily with existing voice systems including session border controllers (SBCs).

FAQ

Q: What is voice security, and why is it important for businesses? Voice security involves protecting voice communication systems, such as VoIP and traditional telephony, from threats like fraud, spoofing, and service disruptions. It's crucial for businesses to safeguard sensitive information, maintain customer trust, and ensure compliance with regulations.

Q: Why are call centers targeted by attackers? Call centers handle large volumes of sensitive customer data, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking financial gain, sensitive information, or to disrupt services.

Q: What role does employee training play in call center security? Educating employees about security best practices, how to recognize phishing attempts, and proper data handling are essential for preventing breaches caused by human error or social engineering attacks.

Q: What are the consequences of a data breach in a call center? Data breaches can lead to financial losses, legal penalties, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust, significantly impacting a business's operations and profitability.

Q: What steps should a business take following a voice security breach? After a breach, businesses should immediately contain the incident, assess the extent of the damage, notify affected parties, and implement measures to prevent future occurrences, such as system upgrades and policy revisions.

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