A Discussion of VoIP and VPN

How do VoIP and VPN technologies relate? VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) technology is quite the innovation, as it allows users to speak to one another from all across the world using digital transmission, rather than an analog-based phone- which is very expensive to use when calling long distance. Thanks to VoIP, you can easily converse with clients, friends and associates without having to pay hefty fees. Some VoIP software even lets you communicate for free.

However, you may wonder about the security of using a VoIP VPN connection. Digital transmission remains open to the threat of hacking and intercepting. In recent years, just as VoIP is emerging, we have also seen many problems with security violations, and not just on an individual basis but also across corporate voice networks.

What’s interesting to note about VoIP VPN is that because most people use IP locally or on wide area enterprise networks, they never really experience any major security leaks. These networks are often times protected from the public Internet, which is the greatest security risk.

When you use VoIP you are at risk because you can be hit by attacks that are untraceable and be exposed to an environment that is unprotected from “spoofing and sniffing” techniques. The reason why VoIP phones and other hardware are high-risk is because the data is being sent “unencrypted.” Without encryption, anyone can listen in on private conversations.

Messages can be decoded and or intercepted, allowing anonymous users to tap conversations and steal valuable information. In addition, VoIP VPN connections eliminate the risk of hijacking and IP duplicating. Meaning, a malicious person could masquerade as you and steal your identity! You are also opened to the risk of having data stolen, conversations recorded, invasion of voice mail, and other dreadful scenarios.

This is not to suggest that a VoIP phone is bad technology. Unprotected VPN is risky. However, using a secure connection made possible through VPN technology can make your VoIP and VPN phone as safe as a landline. You can use methods of Authorization, Authentication, Media encryption (SRTP) or Transport Layer Security (TLS/SSL) mechanism. VPN allows encryption of data using 128-bit AES, which makes the data virtually unbreakable.

When working with a VPN provider, choose the technology that suits you the most. Not every VPN solution will work with every VoIP provider, so do be sure and get specifics and try the VoIP phone or software/hardware, to make sure that the connection still works.