NETWORK SECURITY
www.comms-dealer.com Alert raised over fraud
Never has such an important subject of discussion been swept under the carpet than the issue of phone hacking. Incidences are growing by the day, and resellers have found themselves at the forefront of the battle to contain these illegal outbreaks.
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etwork abuse and telephony fraud is on the increase and it will take the cooperation of
the entire industry to tackle it, says Matt Smith, Verizon UK Account Manager, who has noted an increase in telephony fraud among his customers. “Most telephone hackers are opportunists and they will search endlessly for the ‘open door’ that is an unprotected PABX,” he said. “Once found, they can rack up many thousands of pounds of calls in a very short period of time. When discovered, the end user, reseller and carrier are left to clean up the mess. In almost every case, finances aside, this will result in the end of a business relationship in the customer-supplier chain as each battles to establish who will pick up the bill and who is to blame.”
There’s no getting away from the risk of dial through fraud for all parties in the chain, according to Richard Winterburn, Strategic Partner Manager at Retell. “Even if the reseller locks down the switch it can still be breached by hackers using tools that can be downloaded from the Internet. If the customer doesn’t implement their own security when certain features are switched on the risks are very high.”
The responsibility for security should be shared, he believes.
“Ignorance and denial are no excuses and the bill still has to be paid,” added Winterburn. “Resellers should inform customers because they need to know and understand the risks, and resellers should promote good practice and install firewalls. Carriers should notify of unusual call patterns and the authorities should investigate this kind of fraud in more detail.”
Winterburn finds it ‘incredible’ that resellers and customers can genuinely think their PBX is fraud proof. “I doubt any system is fraud proof,” he said. “It’s usually just a matter of time before hackers gain access one way or another. We’re warning our partners about the risks. We send mailshots on a regular basis and we’re happy to talk to anyone about the potential risks of telephone fraud. PBX manufacturers are also starting to promote firewalls and encourage partners to look at security.”
The simplest ways of reducing fraud are to have good passwords wherever required, usually on voicemail, on DISA (Direct Inward Station Access) and on the remote access support service, notes Winterburn. “Minimise the amount of systems and software that have access and often remote access to the PBX and only allow trusted people to change configurations,” he added. “Make sure the call barring lists are up to date and
Be bold and proactive. Give good customer service and guidance. That’s the key
that those lists include allowances for the fall-back route through BT if the customer is using another carrier. It is often possible to dial the route through a BT number and dial outside of the call barring list. Ultimately, of course, nothing is as simple or effective as a dedicated security device. These systems allow the customer to keep their PBX features and increase security.”
Tom Maxwell, Dealer Sales Director at Nimans, agrees that telephone fraud is a growing menace and that the issue needs to be at the forefront of discussions. “When you see the numbers involved on a global scale it’s frightening,” he said. “Everyone knows they need PC protection when they are surfing the web. It’s the same with telephone systems. Most resellers will know of companies that have been hacked. We know of one business that was hit for £74,000, which was a huge bill to be picking up. It’s a silent crime, something you don’t see going through the courts so there’s very little public awareness. It’s more of a business-to-business crime and doesn’t get the general media profile it should.”
Maxwell’s advice to resellers is to educate their base about how they can prevent hacking rather than using scare tactics.
How security is positioned with a customer is key as the threat of being targeted can undermine a system sale if not handled correctly. “Prevention of telephone hacking is essential because unless there is a solution in place then everyone is exposed to it,” added Maxwell. “It’s an organised crime and the consequences are often severe. If hacking problems arise they can very quickly destroy customer relationships which may have taken years to build. The bill for call charges still has to be paid. Dealers selling lines and minutes on a wholesale basis are even more exposed as they have a direct relationship with the network provider.”
Maxwell recommends that resellers adopt anti-hacking technology and position it as a reassurance rather than a threat. That way, they can give their customers peace of mind knowing they are protected. According to Maxwell, anti-hacking technology should accompany every new business quote. “There are some resellers who perhaps are reluctant to highlight a potential security threat at the time they are trying to convince a customer to invest in a new system. But it’s simply too big an issue to ignore. Be bold and proactive. Give good customer service and guidance. That’s the key.”
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44 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2011
www.comms-dealer.com
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