By Sharla Sikes

Security growing pains continue to plague the VoIP world, and recent information suggests that VoIP security may not be at the forefront of IT managers’ priorities.

NetIQ research shows that 59 percent of the 66 IT managers quizzed said the risk of viruses and worms was low or very low. Voice spam and denial of service attacks were also not causing concern, with only 12 and 24 percent respectively of IT managers classing them of high or very high risk.

Is the risk really so easily dismissed? Companies providing security products would have us think so, but the question is how much fact their claims are based on.

NetIQ chief strategist Ulrich Weigel suggested that the survey shows there is “a worrying complacency among organizations that have either already deployed or are about to install a VoIP infrastructure. The main focus for organizations has traditionally been on ensuring voice quality and performance, but vigilance with security is equally important—and taking measures such as encrypting voice services and performing regular security audits—is equally important.”

The majority of those quizzed did have a firewall in place, though fewer than 50 percent were utilizing security management specifically designed for VoIP systems.  

The SANS Institute recently announced that VoIP servers and phones were among the top 20 security risks of 2007. The organization produces an annual “round up” of the most significant IT risks. SANS experts warn that rapid adoption of VoIP systems has brought an oversight of vulnerabilities such as VoIP phishing scams, eavesdropping, toll fraud, or denial-of-service attacks.

 

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