How to prevent telephone system fraud when you move office
Incidents of telephone system fraud have increased over the past two years which is attributed in the industry to the rise of IP PBX systems being installed by inexperienced people.
Anyone is able to download and install a telephone system on a PC at the click of a mouse without a single day's experience of telephony. But this is adding to the number of a fraud attacks which is putting your business at risk. If your business is relocating and you need to carry out a reinstallation of your IP Telephony system, use these 10 tips offered by Spitfire to safeguard your business against telephone system fraud:
- Change default administrator / engineer passwords - Anyone on the internet can find out the default password of most PBX systems - so get it changed as soon as it's been (re)installed.
- Disable or remove any build in default accounts - Often a software PBX vendor supplies built in accounts to help "get you going". This is useful in a closed lab but not for production use and is easily overlooked once installed.
- Change extension and voicemail default access codes - Obvious one but make sure your passwords are hard to guess.
- Ensure that if you have configured your voicemail for access from outside the office that calls cannot be made from within the voicemail system by "dropping down to dial tone" - This is classic fraud technique normally only used for making individual calls to hide other nefarious activity.
- Be wary of what numbers calls can be forwarded to you - As this is another commonly used technique to forward someone's extension to a fraudulent number. Forwarding your extension to a premium rate number is easy money for a fraudster.
- Block access to the PBX from all IP addresses except those that have legitimate access. Spitfire provide SIP trunk circuits within a closed MPLS VPN but some customers choose to deploy their PBXs on an internet connection in which case it is essential to lock down the network. Spitfire can also help scan your network after installation.
- Consider the physical security of the voice LAN to prevent people just being able to plug in a phone or laptop. For example, if you employ an overnight security guard you may want to consider what numbers they really need to be able to dial overnight.
- Create dial plans that restrict international calls to only those users who have a real business need to make them. Somalia, Cuba and North Korea are prime destinations for fraudulent calls to premium rate numbers that offer a scammer revenue share.
- Check call logs for unusual activity - particularly calls placed outside normal working hours and calls to un-recognised destinations.
- Check your business insurance to see whether you are covered for such a loss.
Use the IT & Telecoms Checklist when moving your business phone system to the new office.
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