Unified communication is an integrated platform for multiple communication channels integrated into a single session interface. It enables texting or emailing while on a call. This includes voice and video conferencing, instant messaging, real-time presence, and more. With Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS), users can easily communicate and collaborate in multiple ways and on a common platform.
While customer needs and expectations for personalized communication services are constantly increasing, the future of unified Communication for businesses is foreseen. A unified communication solution will enhance collaboration and productivity, improve customer service, and improve flexibility, scalability, business continuity, resilience, and cost-efficiency. However, these systems are vulnerable to cyber attacks, which can obtain access to sensitive information managed or stored by your business.
Before delving into the types of potential cyber-attacks and how to prevent them, let’s first understand the importance of ensuring unified communications security.
Why is it necessary to ensure Unified Communications security?
When communication is the primary driver for the growth of your business or enterprise, you simply cannot afford to overlook its security. Your system always needs a solution to ensure the security of sensitive information, prevent service disruptions, ensure regulatory compliance, mitigate financial loss, and safeguard your network against evolving threats.
What are the threats, and how can they be prevented?
Secure Unified communications solutions significantly transform communication for many businesses, but everything comes with twists. Here are some of them.
1. Phishing
You might have heard calls like you have won a lottery, a car, or a foreign tour trip. Do you think all these are legitimate or true? Phishing attacks involve misleading messages, links, or emails that make victims reveal sensitive information like password credentials, financial details, or encrypted data belonging to a particular organization. This might lead to unauthorized access to the communication platform or the attacker’s access to meetings impersonating an authorized entity.
● How to fix it?
Organize regular training sessions for employees and users to educate them about recognizing and avoiding phishing attacks. Implement a system with advanced email filtering and anti-phishing solutions that warn users about suspicious links or emails. Ensure your system only allows access after multi-factor authentication and blocks attackers with theft credentials.
2. Eavesdropping
Eavesdropping is secretly listening to or monitoring private conversations or communications. Interception attacks involve capturing data transmitted over the Internet or gaining unauthorized access to spy on communication channels. This can lead to fraudulent data or misinformation insertion during interception.
● How can it be fixed?
Use end-to-end encryption in communication, ensure that the communication is only decrypted to authorized endpoints, and employ safeguarding protocols TLP (Transport Layer Protocol) and SRTP (Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol) to protect data in transmission. Isolate UC systems. Isolating and segmenting the unified communication network from other networks will reduce the surface attack and limit the potential impact of attacks.
3. Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS)
Attacks that aim to create a huge hi-jack kind of scene or cause unavailability of resources by flooding them with virtual traffic that might cause latency and jitter buffering, leading to missing out on critical information and halting business operations with a financial loss and reputational damage.
● How to fix it?
Implement a system with traffic filtering and deploy an SBC-integrated unified communication solution for your communication networks that routes away traffic and blocks malicious sources. Deploy redundant servers and networks to ensure that if one server is attacked, others can maintain the load and handle the service unavailability.
4. Malware and Ransomware
Malware is software created to harm, interfere with, or gain unauthorized entry to an organization’s stored or managed data. Ransomware encrypts an entity’s data and demands a specific amount of money in exchange for its release, leading to substantial operational disturbance.
● How to fix it?
Keep your software and hardware up-to-date with regular updates, and deploy anti-virus and anti-malware solutions for your communication network to detect and prevent malicious activity before it infects your UC networks. Train and educate your employees to recognize and avoid these kinds of challenges.
5. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks
Beware of potential imposters within your organization who may present themselves as trusted intermediaries between different parties. These imposters could possess login or financial credentials and have authorized access to sensitive and critical data that should not be compromised.
● How to fix it?
Develop a comprehensive communication system that incorporates mutual authentication protocols to confirm the identities of all parties’ identities before any communication occurs. Additionally, virtual private networks (VPNs) and secure channels can be integrated to encrypt data transmission, thus enhancing the security of intercepted data.
Benefits of a secured communication network.
Securing Unified Communications (UC) is crucial for protecting sensitive information, preventing any interruptions in service, and adhering to regulatory standards. A secure UC system not only enhances employee productivity by offering reliable and uninterrupted communication channels but also plays a vital role in safeguarding the business’s reputation and fostering customer trust.
A Final Call to Secure Approach
Securing Unified Communication (UC) networks is vital for protecting sensitive data, ensuring uninterrupted business operations, and maintaining regulatory compliance. By implementing robust security measures, organizations can protect their network against cyber threats, prevent unauthorized access, and reduce the risk of costly data breaches. A secure UC system not only safeguards business assets but also fosters trust among customers and employees, supporting overall business resilience and growth. Prioritizing UC security is essential for any organization looking to thrive in today’s digital landscape.
