Safer Internet Day is upon us. As VoIP resellers we are often asked how we recommend people make their business’ data secure.
Whether you are looking to resell VoIP services, or are looking for a VoIP solution of your own, you are bound to have similar questions about using the internet safely, without putting your office at risk and making your data secure. Especially since GDPR.
Here we have some great tips for making your business’ data secure
Use Encrypted VoIP
Unless it is encrypted, like our service, VoIP is not as secure as landlines.
This is down to the risks integral to the way VoIP works and the way hackers operate.
A landline phone is the most secure option, but even that is not infallible and can be subject to wiretaps.
But essentially, a landline works by making an end to end connection. Think of it like passing a handwritten note directly to the recipient. The phone lines form a full circuit, which is only broken when one side hangs up. Unless it has been recorded through a wiretap or other method, no record of it exists.
VoIP on the other hand, is a bit like sending a typed letter through the post. The data goes through numerous ports and can, in theory, be intercepted at any point and you wouldn’t even know.
Whats more, because it is digital, there is a record of it.
Now, a good VoIP system, such as VIP VoIP encrypts the data, so it scrambles the content of the file until it is in the hands of the intended recipient. If it is intercepted, no one would be able to access the content.
Choose Your Data Storage Wisely
A big part of making your business’ data secure is keeping that data in a safe place to begin with. If you have absolutely everything stuffed on your local drive or an external hard-drive in your desk drawer you are vulnerable.
Choose a cloud storage platform that is ISO27001 accredited. ISO27001 is the standard that ensures cloud storage is safe and sound.
Google Drive and Dropbox are the biggest names in the industry for a reason, but there are plenty of other options out there.
Don’t forget, some of these services are free, like Google, because they can access your data and use it to strengthen their own services, so make sure you read the fine print and don’t assume it is safe.
Action Your Updates
Computer and software updates are vital. They patch and fill holes in the security wall that has been exposed or identified and makes sure that you are less vulnerable to attacks.
Action any updates that you are aware of immediately. We can’t stress that enough.
Make sure that staff are turning their computers off at least once a week to allow for any patches and updates to be pushed through. Don’t get caught out with malware.
Limit Website Access
You can easily get software that limits the access your staff have to certain websites, and it is most definitely worth it.
Allowing staff to access questionable sites can leave their machines open to viruses and malware.
And if your computers are on a network, as many are, when one falls, the others are likely to follow.
Have a Data Protection Policy
There has been an awful lot of focus recently on how we need to keep other people’s data safe, which is great. But don’t forget you need to make sure your data protection policy also covers internal proceedings.
Have a policy for password creation, so staff aren’t choosing easy passwords, such as Password123!
A clean desk policy makes sure that all paperwork is filed away safely at the end of the night-especially important in shared office blocks. That way no data can be accidentally exposed.
Don’t forget people’s phones in the policy. Ensure staff aren’t accessing their work email on their personal phones. Also, have a process for being able to remotely close down email accounts if a phone is lost or stolen.
If you are really worried about the data you hold, put a ban on staff bringing their own devices into work or using them to access work platforms. Personal devices are usually less secure than office ones, if you have a sensible level of firewall and protection at work. Staff are more likely to visit sites that contain malware or threats at home, too.
The International Association of Privacy Professionals has put together this data protection template if you want to learn more.
Can We Help?
If you would like to discuss any aspect of our secure and safe VoIP services, please get in touch. Whether you are interested in our reseller programme or are looking to have VoIP in your office, give us a call on 03300881182 or email sales@vipvoip.co.uk.
We would love to hear from you.