Voice Security

Securing voice solutions has become an essential part of any communication security strategy as eavesdropping on IP lines is becoming as prevalent as wire-tapping on traditional telephone lines. More and more IP-specific invasive techniques are being used to replicate the call fraud, hijacking and similar attacks that have effected TDM-based telephony.

Given the close integration with IT infrastructure, the security of voice streams must be considered alongside that of management systems and devices, especially with the emergence of IP for wireless hardware which is further enhancing the need for security and reliability. VoIP security planning must be integrated with an overall Internet access security plan, as many of these attacks are not unique to VoIP. Specialist audits at the planning stage enable NextiraOne experts to build solutions for the secure integration and administration of the whole infrastructure.

Impact of security on voice quality
Although often not immediately apparent, poorly designed security tools and solutions may conflict with voice quality. The more barriers there are in the network and endpoints for security purposes, the more interference there will be with voice quality. Firewalls may not read the QoS markers in the voice packet, thereby degrading the packet delivery service. Other issues include:

• Voice packets, when they pass through security devices, can cause added delay, jitter and packet loss during the call.
• Intrusion prevention systems perform considerably more processing than a firewall and have been proven to cause voice quality degradation.
• Encryption and decryption add delay to the calls.
• VPN connections encrypt the QoS markers. The routers consequently cannot deliver the needed QoS for the voice packets.

Combining Voice, Unified Communication and Security expertise, NextiraOne experts can help you build a secure voice solution without compromising call quality.