Phreaking
-VoIP Security Threat
What Is A Phreak Attack?
The words "phone" and "freak" combine to coin the
term "phreak" to describe a phone hacker. The phreak tries to break
into your telephone network with the intention of listening to your
conversations or making costly calls at your expense.
In
other words, phreaking is a security
threat to phone network and can do lots of damage to you.
Why
VoIP Is More Vulnerable to Phreak Attacks
Phreaking is not something new. For years the
traditional phone lines have been victims of this illegal activity.
However, over the years, the phone lines have got smart. They have
tightened the security around their communication networks and made it
difficult, if not impossible, for the hackers to penetrate them.
On the other hand the VoIP telephone technology which is comparatively
a new kid on the block often provides opportunities to the hackers to
get into them and do their nefarious work. The reason is that VoIP
works on internet and is vulnerable to the same security threats that
internet is prone to.
So if your VoIP service has some
security loophole, a phreaker can not only make calls at your expense
but also can spy on you and learn about your personal financial
information if you give it out while using your phone.
What can result from such attack can be easily imagined. Somebody can
take over your identity and do immeasurable financial and other kind of
damage as well as commit acts for which you could be blamed. If you are
using VoIP service for your business, a phreaking intrusion can result
in your business secrets being passed to your competitors.
How
Real Is Phreak Threat?
Phreak
attack is like an auto accident.
You don't expect to smash your car every time you drive out. But deep
down you know that such a thing can happen with you. That's why you
take precautions while driving and also take out auto insurance.
In the same way, while all VoIP phones are not attacked, any phone can
be a victim. So like taking auto insurance, it pays to be aware of the
threat and do what you can about it to guard yourself.
So What Can You To Guard
Against Phreaking?
Before
registering with a VoIP service, shop around. Look at various VoIP
service providers. See what security measures are built into their
services. Visit VoIP forums where members talk about their experience
with different VoIP services. If a friend or a business associate is
using a VoIP phone, learn if they are experiencing any problems.
And once you start using a VoIP service, check your billing statements
with care. Unusually high calling charges or calls made to unknown
numbers or destinations should raise a warning flag that somebody could
be making calls at your expense.
If you find any such suspicious or unexplained items on your bill,
promptly get into touch with your service provider for an explanation
and redressing.
All these precautions would go a long way to keep safe when you are
using VoIP telephones. Last but not the least, learn about VoIP
security. Being aware of possible dangers is the first step towards
guarding against them.
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