Another potential source of infection is pirated software, Symantec said. “ Illegal software could be laced with malicious programs to compromise your computer,” said Kannan.

Internet users should be concerned about the security of their computers because their personal information – such as passwords, bank account numbers, and financial records – are also at risk from bot-infections.

Symantec suggests several precautions including:
> Always have an updatedprotection; and,
> Never download from an untrusted website or open suspicious e-mail
messages. Delete it.

Prices (US dollars per 1000 infected machines)
1. Australia 100
2. UK 60
3. Italy 60
4. US 50
5. France 25
6. Netherlands 25
7. Denmark 25
8. Spain 25
9. Greece 25
10. Poland 18
11. Other 18
12. Asia 3

Source: Infected Australian computers fetch top dollar, Asher Moses, The Age, 21 March 2008
The value of an infected system might depend on the level of user awareness. Philip Routley, product marketing manager at internet security firm MessageLabs, said he believed the high price tag on Australian machines was due to the fact that Australians were more ignorant about computer security threats than people from other parts of the world.

The Russian site, InstallsCash, offers to pay unscrupulous website operators for every 1000 machines they infect with spyware. All the website operator has to do is insert a line of code into their web page, and anyone visiting that site is infected with spyware. For instance, someone could load the code on to their website and if the site is viewed
by 100,000 Australians in a day, the site operator could earn up to $10,000 in one hit, assuming all viewers are infected. Infected machines are then added to a " botnet" controlled by InstallsCash, and the party responsible for the infection is paid accordingly.

• The right antivirus software
• the right firewall
• the right spam filter
• the right browser
• the right operating system
• and so on

There's no such thing as "the right" any of those to achieve "security". There are, at any given time, some choices that are better than others. Some choices are more secure than others. Some impose greater costs on the user than others, as well.

Some, believe it or not, may be exceedingly good (for right now) at providing security within their specific area of specialization but introduce other vulnerabilities that you may find unacceptable.

Security, on a personal level, is a balancing act where the thin beam on which you're walking keeps changing direction. You can't just pick the right answer and stick with it--you have to maintain personal security awareness, and an ongoing ability to make good decisions based on that awareness.

The best antivirus software for you today may be the worst tomorrow, and only mediocre on a different computer of yours. A week from now, it may become more of a liability than a help, and a year from now you may find that on a new system having any antivirus software at all is a bad idea.

If you think that's too complicated, you're in for a shock, because it gets worse.
Real security is not something you can have just by erecting walls around yourself, setting guards at the points of ingress and egress, and so on. You have to help others secure themselves, too, because until (nearly) everybody is able to maintain his or her own security, there will always be significant threats to yours.

Poor security is both individual and collective in nature: every individual must see to his or her own security, and everyone's security is dependent to some degree on the security of everyone else.
For instance, there's the matter of spam. Spam is not a problem you can solve by guarding against it. You have exactly two options for truly protecting yourself from spam:

1. You can stop using any communication media that allow for automation and bulk sending. This means no more IM
   services, no more email, and no more SMS texting.
2. You can help others be secure, spread the word about good security, so that the spam botnets of the world dry up and the cost of spamming grows until it is no longer cost-effective to be a spammer.

Filtering spam is just an arms race, after all. You come up with a better method of filtering, so the spammers come up with a better method of getting around filtering. If you don't think spammers can keep this up indefinitely, you might want to consider that we may at some future date look back on spam as the driver of some of the greatest innovations of information technology:

1. As people attempt to achieve the universal Turing test, they come up with schemes like CAPTCHA. Each time such a system is improved, the science of programmatic optical character recognition is advanced because spammer software" learns" to pick characters out of ever-more obscuring visual "noise". It has reached the point now where many of the available CAPTCHA-like options can be unreadable to humans, too.
2. Many would claim that Linux systems are the most scalable in the world; you can link together hundreds of Linux systems
   in grid-computing supercomputers with relative ease. Despite this, the biggest grid-computing system in the world will
   almost certainly be a botnet for the foreseeable future, not designed to run on a scalable OS, but on an OS whose security
   against infection is easy to compromise.
3. Achieving more with less through automation is an area of advancement ruled by spambot creators and other malware
   makers, as well. As the technical security features of various systems get more sophisticated, the malware used to
   propagate botnets needs to be slimmer, sleeker, and harder to find. Notice the successes in these areas, the surprisingly
   minimal yet functional nature of viruses and worms propagating across the Internet.
4. The closest thing to successful artificial life in this world did not come from a biology laboratory. It's self-propagating
   mobile malicious code.
   

In order to actually significantly cut into spam, you have to do something other than come up with better ways to filter, to react on the receiving end. The most widespread means of filtering spam will always be the first to be circumvented, and so the problem remains.

Authoritative "security from above" won't work either. Getting ISPs to be more intrusive in their monitoring and management activities because individuals won't take care of their own security is, at best, ineffective. ISPs and other "parental" overseers on the Internet have limited resources, and any solution they could employ with those resources that is sufficiently draconian to be effective would shut the majority of their customers out of the Internet. Are you willing to burn the village to save it?
Ultimately, your individual security--as demonstrated by the spam situation--is not just a matter of your individual security. It is a matter of everybody's individual security. Improving your security involves not only choosing the best tools and techniques for yourself, but advocating them for others as well, and educating those others. This is why, in addition to an IT security industry full of people whose real goal is not security but is instead profit and market dominance, there is also a strong and vibrant security community full of people willing to argue and discuss and disseminate freely and at great length.
Any security professional neck-deep in the security industry (who knows Symantec) but disconnected from the security community (doesn't know Bugtraq) is not the security professional you want.
Security is protection of both privacy and resources--and not just your own privacy and resources. It is protection of everybody's privacy and resources. The moment you allow someone else's resources to get abused (botnet infection), yours get abused as well (spam). The moment you allow someone else's privacy to get abused (intrusive Internet activity tracking), yours gets abused as well (harvesting contact information about you from other people's communications).
Security is only possible with freedom (and privacy is a big part of freedom), because the more you impose restrictions on people the more you create conflicts of interest in those who maintain those restrictions. Freedom is the only thing you cannot have if you do not grant it to others--and security follows suit. Freedom, in effect, *is* security of privacy and property. If you want to be free (of spam, of infections, of identity theft, and so on), you have to help others achieve that freedom as well.

Security is an ecosystem--not a product. You cannot buy it exceptat the cost of giving it away.

Evidence might be sought in a wide range of computer crime or misuse, including (but not limited to) fraud, theft of trade secrets and theft or destruction of intellectual property. Investigators can draw on an array of methods for discovering information that resides in a computer system or recovering deleted, encrypted or damaged file information.

Securing and analyzing electronic evidence is a central theme in an ever-increasing number of conflict situations and criminal cases. Electronic evidence is critical in the following situations:

• Disloyal employees
• Computer break-ins
• Possession of pornography
• Breach of contract
• Industrial espionage
• E-mail fraud
• Bankruptcy
• Disputed dismissals
• Web page defacements
• Theft of company documents

A computer forensics investigator is responsible for recovering data from computers that can be used in the prosecution of a criminal or in gathering evidence of a crime.

But contrary to public perception, a computer forensics investigation might include equipment beyond the normal computer, including cell phones, video recorders, thumb drives, BlackBerries, PDAs and MP3 players.

Computer forensics enables the systematic and careful identification of evidence in computer-related crime and abuse cases. This might range from tracing the tracks of a hacker through a client’s systems to tracing the originator of defamatory e-mails to recovering signs of fraud.

Many computer forensics investigators are law enforcement officers or are employed by police departments. In smaller cities, however, they might be private computer experts whom the local police force uses on an as-needed basis. Computer forensic investigators might be required to testify in court to explain their role in the evidence-gathering process and to detail the evidence-recovery procedure used in that case.

The need for forensics investigators is becoming very important. With the growth in the general digital forensics area, the need for a good solution for investigators is on the rise.

One common trend among law enforcement agencies is that corporations worldwide try not to report any computer abuse to which they might have been subject.

Why? According to a recent CSI/FBI report, this is because most of them are concerned that any such report may lead to a leak, and as a result, they might be susceptible to attack from their competitors in the court of public opinion. They are also concerned that the negative publicity might hurt their stock prices.

What is the Solution?
One possible answer is to hire internal computer-hacking forensics investigators. The fact that a corporation has an internal team that is trained and certified to deal with the art of computer forensics will significantly reduce the risk of employees trying to prey on their internal systems. Another benefit is that internally trained and certified personnel will cost a corporation much less than a typical investigation by a consultant.

A computer forensic investigator might be called in if the information for which the authorities are looking has been hidden on or erased from a computer. Despite being deleted, the investigator can retrieve all or part of the evidence using specialized recovery programs and the computer’s hard drive.

Forensics investigators also can work to crack or decode encryption programs that prevent information stored on the computer from being accessed. This information might be pictures, documents or other sources such as spreadsheets or databases.

Computer forensics investigators also must have good working knowledge of computer construction, as well as hard drive processes and data recovery. They have to have a great deal of patience and should be willing to work for long or odd hours to try to recover information from computers that might have been erased or damaged. Understanding networking, encryption and computer crime is also important to this career.

Certifications
To prepare a person to be a forensics investigator is no easy task. There are many sides to a good investigator, from analytical skills to technical knowledge.

Potential investigators should study and understand the crimes or incidents they will be investigating. For instance, they ought to have good working knowledge of ethical hacking skills and possess the Certified Ethical Hacker certification, which is just one of many that will aid in creating the most well-rounded investigator.

There are quite a few certifications available, but those who seek to become computer forensics investigators must be able to distinguish between vendor-neutral and vendor-based certifications. Both will help create the best forensic investigator.

EC-Council offers a vendor-neutral computer hacking forensic investigator program that prepares individuals to become forensics investigators. But upon the completion of this certification, candidates should pursue some of the specialized vendor-based certification that will allow them to be adequately certified and trained in products and techniques.

For instance, Paraben Corp. offer multiple tiers of training associated with the seizure, analysis and presentation of data associated with mobile devices. Although this is a vendor-based certification, it still contributes to crucial skills that forensic investigators will need.

Additionally, there are many other vendors that have proprietary software or equipment, including Guidance Software, which both law enforcement agencies and corporations use a great deal.

Before individuals attempt any of these trainings, however, they should possess critical information about networking, ethical hacking and a deep understanding of forensics tools and procedures.

Forensics Investigation and Ethical Hacker Certification
There are a growing number of forensics investigation and ethical hacker certifications. The following are some of the certification programs now available for these skill sets.

Certified Ethical Hacker Certification
From EC-Council, this credential certifies individuals in the specific network security discipline of ethical hacking from a vendor-neutral perspective. The certification is intended for security officers, auditors, security professionals and site administrators. It’s meant to teach these IT professionals to look for weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems and use the same knowledge and tools as a malicious hacker.

Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator Certification
Also from EC-Council, this credential certifies individuals in the process of detecting hacking attacks, properly extracting evidence to report the crime and conducting audits to prevent further attacks. It is intended for police and other law enforcement personnel, defense and military personnel, systems administrators, legal professionals, financial professionals and IT managers.

Certified Network Defense Architect Certification
Additionally, EC-Council offers the Certified Network Defense Architect (CNDA) certification, which fortifies the application knowledge of security officers, auditors, security professionals, site administrators and anyone who is concerned about the integrity of the network infrastructure. A CNDA is a skilled professional who understands and knows how to look for the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems and uses the same knowledge and tools as a malicious hacker.

Certified Computer Examiner Certification
The International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners offers this credential, which provides an uncompromised process for certifying the competency of forensic computer examiners. The certification is available worldwide to both law enforcement and non-law enforcement forensic computer examination.

Jay Bavisi is the president of EC-Council. He can be reached at editor@certmag.com.

If you have been to a bookstore lately, you've most likely seen that there is an abundance of books on hacking and "how to hack." Until now, few organizations have worked toward quantifying ethical hacking, defining its legalities, or specifying its useful role in modern organizations. This is what the EC-Council is attempting to do with this certification. Keep reading if you want to learn more.

Is port scanning legal?

Port scanning remains a questionable, legal subject. There is little debate that it's usually the first step in an attack. By itself, it may not constitute an attack. It's not very different than going from house to house knocking on doors. As a question of its legality, the Georgia District Court case of "Moulton vs. VC3," the judge declared a port scan in the case legal because it did not "impair the integrity or availability of the network." The judge ruled that since there was no damage to the target, it could not be illegal.

Not all states, service providers, or organizations share that view. Some ISP's will terminate the service of individuals performing port scans. Prudence is the best course of action. It's best not to perform a port scan without the consent of the network owner. It's interesting to note that if you search on "port scanning," the popup ads displayed tend to be those of law firms and legal aid providers!

Why Must We Have Ethical Hackers?
Organizations must secure their IT infrastructure and networks. Just as corporations employ auditors to routinely examine financial records, so should corporations audit security policy. We have all seen the havoc that a lack of real financial audits can cause. Just as accountants perform bookkeeping audits, ethical hackers perform security audits. Without security audits and compliance controls, no real security exists. This is a big problem. There are plenty of individuals waiting to test and probe your organization's security stance. These individuals range from government and corporate spies, to hackers, crackers, script kiddies, or those who write and release malicious code into the wild. Their presence in your network in not a good thing!

Who Are Ethical Hackers?
An ethical hacker is most similar to a penetration tester. The ethical hacker is an individual who is employed or contracted to undertake an attempted penetration test. These individuals use the same methods employed by hackers. In case you were unsure; hacking is a felony in the United States. Ethical hackers have written authorization to probe a network. Only then is this attempted hack legal, as there is a contract between the ethical hacker and the organization. In 1995, long before today's more stringent guidelines, one individual received 3 felony counts, 5 years probation, 480 hours of community service, and a $68,000 legal bill for failing to insure proper authorization. Don't let this happen to you!

Want to Learn More?
There is not an all in one study guide or review for this test at the current time. There are, however, many ways to start obtaining the knowledge needed to pass the exam. One point of review is the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST-800-42 is a good foundational document on ethical hacking. It even includes recommendations for tools intended for self-evaluation. NIST breaks penetration testing down into 4 primary stages:

Security Testing Methodologies
All security-testing methodologies have similar elements. These include: Plan, Organize, Gather Information, Test, Analyze, and Report. To learn more about security testing, review the following documents.

Octave - Operationally Critical Threat, Asset, and Vulnerability Evaluation

OSSTMM - Open Source Testing Methodology Manual

NIST sp800-26 - Self assessment guide for information technology

NIST sp800-42 - Security Testing

TRAWG - Threat and Risk Assessment Working Guide

1. Planning - As the old saying goes, success is 90% preparation and 10 % perspiration. What's the point? Good planning is the key to success. Know where you are going, what your goals are, what the time frame is, and what the limits and boundaries are!

2. Discovery - This stage is broken down into two distinct phases:

Passive - During this stage, information is gathered in a very covert manner. Examples of passive information gathering include (1) surfing the organization's Web site to mine valuable information and (2) reviewing their job openings to gain a better understanding of the technologies and equipment used by the organization.
Active - This phase of the test is split between network scanning and host scanning. As individual networks are enumerated, they are further probed to discover all hosts, determine their open ports, and attempt to pinpoint their OS. Nmap is a popular scanning program.

3. Attack - At this point, the ethical hacker will attempt to (1) Gain Access, (2) Escalate Privilege, (3) Browse the system, and finally (4) Expand influence.

4. Reporting - This may be the final step listed, but it is not least in importance. Reporting and documentation should be carried out through each step of the process. This documentation will be used to compile the final report. This report will serve as the basis for corrective action. Corrective action can range from nothing more than enforcing existing policies to closing unneeded ports and adding patches and service packs.

Final Thoughts
I am glad to see the EC-Council release this certification. This is an area where much education is needed. I took the exam last week, passed, and believe the test is adequately challenging for a baseline of skills. The bottom line is that if you have some security experience, have taken the Security + or the TICSA exam, and have an interest in penetration testing, this would be a good next step.

Michael C. Gregg (CISSP, MCSE, MCT, CTT+, A+, N+, MCP+I, CNA, CCNA, TICSA, CIW SA and CEH) is an independent trainer, consultant, and author. His training and consulting firm, Superior Solutions, Inc., is based in Houston, Texas. You can contact Michael at mikeg@thesolutionfirm.com.

1. Bakmi Keriting Restaurant
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav.1, Wisma BNI 46, Jakarta, 10220.

2. Fashion Cafe
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav. 1, Wisma BNI 46, Jakarta, 10220.

3. Food Court Restaurant
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav. 1, Wisma BNI 46, Jakarta, 10220.

4. Java Bay Cafe
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav.1, Wisma BNI 46 Jakarta, 10220.

5. Mall - Plaza Senayan
Jl. Asia Afrika 8, Plaza Senayan, Jakarta, 10270.

6. Marche Moven Pick Restaurant
Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav X-0, Graha Surya Internusa, Lt. Dasar, Jakarta, 12950.

7. Grand Melia Hotel
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav X-0, Hotel Grand Melia, Jakarta, 12950.

8. Millenia RatuPlaza
Jl. Jendral Sudirman, Ratu Plaza eMall, 4th floor, Jakarta, 10220.

9. Mall - Telkom Teleshop, Mall Taman Anggrek, Jakarta Barat.

10. Harris Hotel Tebet Jakarta, Jl. Dr. Saharjo 191, Jakarta Selatan.

11. Jakarta Convention Center, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Senayan, Jakarta Selatan.

12. Mojo Cafe, Mangga Dua Square Level 3, Jakarta Barat.

13. Cyber Cafe, Orion Dusit Lantai Dasar, Jakarta Kota.

14. Office - Istana Negara, Press Room 1, President Office, Jakarta Pusat.

15. Office - Telkom, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Graha Citra Caraka, Jakarta Pusat

16. Dunkin Donats Pusat, Jl. Hayam Wuruk dekat Wisma Hayam Wuruk, Jakarta Kota

17. Plaza Semanggi. Lantai 1, Lantai 2 dan Food Court area, Jl. Jendral Sudirman, Jakarta Selatan.

18. Oma Sendok, Jl. Empu Sendok No. 45, Senopati Keb Baru, Jakarta Selatan.

19. Bakoel Koffie, Bellaggio, Mega Kuningan dan Kemang, Jakarta Selatan.

20. BizNet Cafe, Mega Kuningan.

21. Delights Cafe, Jalan Kemang Raya, Kemang Jakarta Selatan.

22. Cafe Aksara Bookstore, Kemang, Jakarta Selatan.

23. Restoran Hotel Grand Flora, Kemang, Jakarta Selatan.

24. Cafe Lokananta, Panglima Polim Selatan, Jakarta Selatan.

25. Bakwan Ecetera, Jl. Benda No. 89, Kemang - Jakarta Selatan.

26. Mal Pondok Indah II, lantai paling bawah sampai lantai atas.

27. Food Court Depok Town Square, Depok.

28. ZOE Cafe, Depok.

29. Chiyyo, Jl. Prof.Dr.Satrio, Karet Kuningan.

30. Dunkin Donuts, Mal Taman Anggrek dan Plaza Semanggi.

31. Cafe O la la, Senayan City, Jakarta Selatan.

32. Au Lait Cafe, Cikini. Next to Bakoel Koffie.

33. Caswell's Coffee, Jl. Kebon Kacang Raya No. 2, Jakarta Pusat.

34. La Piazza, Kelapa Gading, Jakarta Utara.

35. Cafe Batavia, Jakarta Kota.

36. McDonald Kemang, Kemang Raya.

37. Cafe Tamani, Kemang.

38. Pizza Marciano, Kemang.

39. DLight Cafe, Kemang.

40. BROS Lounge, Kemang.

41. f-Bar and Bistro, Plaza Indonesia.

42. Forbidden City, Wijaya, Jakarta Selatan.

43. Kafe PISA, Menteng, Jakarta Pusat.

44. J-Co Donuts, Mal Taman Anggrek.

45. KOI Kemang and Lokananta, Jakarta Selatan.

46. MU Kafe, Sarinah.

47. Red Square, Senayan, Jakarta Selatan.

48. CASA Kemang, Jakarta Selatan.

49. Cafe Excelso, Plaza Indonesia Indonesia, Jakarta.

50. California Pizza Kitchen, Plaza Indonesia Indonesia, Jakarta.

51. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Plaza Indonesia Indonesia, Jakarta.

52. Dome, Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta.

53. Lamoda Cafe, Plaza Indonesia Indonesia, Jakarta.

54. BlackSteer Restaurant, Mal Ambassador, Jakarta Selatan.

55. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Senayan City and Plaza Senayan, Senayan, Jakarta Selatan.

(compiled from various sources)

Last week it emerged that around one per cent of wi-fi networks in London are being named not only to identify them as a way to get online - indeed, some are closed off to public use, requiring a password - but for publicity purposes. The trend is slightly more advanced in other parts of Europe.

A typical example might be a coffee shop on a busy city road. A café which has been in the area for decades might be fighting back against a rival that has recently moved in. It is providing free wi-fi access - after all, all its competitors are also into wireless.

But, according to legal experts, it must be careful how it promotes itself. A simple 'This coffee is the best' carries no risk - it's a simple marketing message over a new channel. However a statement such as: '[Rival café X's] coffee will make you ill' does carry risks.

Ashley Hurst, associate in the media litigation department at law firm Olswang, said: "A defamatory statement may be libellous if it is made to a third party and refers to a particular individual or company."

Anyone taking legal action would need to trace those who own the network, which can be done in a number of ways, and prove a number of people - perhaps as few as half a dozen - had read the message and that message had libelled them.

Hurst added that the simple act of naming a public wi-fi network - a decision often not given much thought - could potentially open up the network owner to other complaints, such as 'passing off' and trademark infringement, depending on the wording.

Why VoIP is vulnerable
VoIP is simply data transmitted in digital packet form. This means it can be attacked, hacked, intercepted, manipulated, re-routed and degraded just like packets on the data network. All of the maladies of the data network – viruses, worms, trojan, DoS attacks and hijacking – are possible on the VoIP network.

Thus, it isn’t a far stretch to imagine the creation of "telephony botnets" capable of shutting down call centers. While no cases of this type of attack are on the public record, many large call centers are already working with security experts to test their infrastructure against DDoS attacks.

In addition to DDoS, here are other examples of potential VoIP attacks:

• Toll Fraud/Service Theft — This will likely be the most common attack in the early stages of VoIP, where an unauthorised user gains access to the VoIP network by mimicking an authorised user or seizing control of an IP phone and initiating outbound long distance calls.
• Eavesdropping — VoIP services measurement and troubleshooting software makes eavesdropping on a packetised voice call relatively easy.
• Phishing — The same techniques used to steal identity information over email are being used over VoIP. Criminals spoof caller identification information so it looks like the call is coming from a legitimate organisation and then ask the call recipient for identity information.

Protecting Your business
There are three main steps you can take to provide a strong foundation for VoIP security.

1. Keep your VoIP network separate
Externally – If you don’t have to expose your VoIP system to the Internet, then don’t. However, an increasing number of companies are opening their VoIP networks to facilitate communications with mobile workers using softphones or laptops to connect via the Internet.

Take every step to ensure that there is some level of authentication and encryption in place for these communications. A virtual private network (VPN) is a good way to maintain the integrity of communications from any trusted person connecting to your VoIP system from an untrusted network.

Internally – Many organisations still use closed VoIP systems as an internal tool to call between office locations. But even if it is blocked off from the Internet, you still need to separate it from your desktop and network environments, any key servers, and other VoIP networks.

Likewise, if your VoIP network runs in a converged environment, you’ll need to separate it at an abstract level – using a VPN or VLAN – to ensure that any attacks or compromises to the network are localised and don’t affect your VoIP equipment, and vice versa.

2. Implement VoIP-aware security intelligence
Even if you are diligent about keeping your VoIP network separate, and you’ve implemented a VPN to protect both internal and external communications, there are still attacks specifically designed for VoIP that require a deeper level of protection. For instance, there will be people who have legitimate access to your VoIP network who can use this access to launch an attack or conduct other illicit activities such as eavesdropping or hijacking calls.

VoIP architecture contains many different protocols, which standard intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and firewalls are not capable of handling. Make sure to implement IPS and firewall technology that is "VoIP aware" and can look deep into the traffic. You want to be able to allow legitimate users to go through, while accurately identifying and blocking suspect traffic before it becomes a threat.

You also want to ensure that you have intelligent IPS deployed between VoIP gateways and near your call manager, a key area of attack that contains all your critical user information.

3. Protect against rogue VoIP usage
It is almost guaranteed in any sizable company that you’ll find unsanctioned use of consumer peer-to-peer VoIP technologies such as Skype or Google Talk. These tools introduce a high level of risk to your network since they are designed to find multiple ways to tunnel out of the network to the Internet, easily bypassing standard firewalls.

One way to address this is to install VoIP-aware IPS and firewalls at all the key access points, which will enable the organisation to design a policy to either block this type of traffic entirely or decide who can use these tools and in what capacity.

If you have taken steps to address VoIP in these three areas, then you have gone a long way toward protecting your business and improving bottomline VoIP security.

-Neel Mehta is team lead for X-Force's advanced research group, a part of IBM Internet Security Systems.

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