Topic > Security for Unified Communications

As organizations have become increasingly reliant on unified communications, managing voice, video, and messaging through a unified system has developed concerns about the security of this IP-based communications infrastructure. This is because UC is IP-based, but there are numerous potential modes of communication, from video, instant messaging and web collaboration, to presence, email and voicemail. Over time we find that the situation has developed a proliferation of mobile devices that are used more frequently in corporate environments and devices that are not as secure as those hosted in the corporate environment organization (Manyika, Chui, Brown, Bughin, Dobbs, Roxburgh, & Byers, 2011). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The main security concern in the UC is eavesdropping. This is the idea that outside parties can infiltrate your IP connection to eavesdrop on a web conference, receive instant message exchange, or other means of communication. Therefore, the greatest concern arises when organizations extend their UC capabilities beyond borders, i.e. to external partners. Additionally, SIP trunking is another service that allows organizations to use Voice over IP over their Internet connection. This has created a lot of concern when the organization switches from a digital connection to an IP-based connection in order to receive and make phone calls regarding increases in hacking. The best way to mitigate this concern is to ensure that your system includes SIP-aware firewalls or session boundary control as protection mechanisms. Apart from this, there are many products in the SIP security market that help mitigate risks. Another growing concern is Denial of Service, an attack method often identified with the Internet, although it has become a growing threat to UC. This has caused the proliferation of mobile devices in the workforce which has given rise to the new entrant in UC infrastructure. This is a valuable addition, allowing workers to participate in meetings and collaboration activities wherever they are, but it also presents challenges. In most organizations, it allows employees to use their own mobile phones, for example, there is concern about password protection, how to erase data from the phone if it is lost, and how to ensure that call data is not recorded . t compromise. For the device, best practices include closing unused services and ports and changing default passwords. For networking, best practices include implementing firewalls, router access control lists, virtual local area networks, port-level switch security, and authenticated network access. Securely authenticates all mobile users of organizational resources. Implement remote security management. Implement end-to-end message and data encryption. Set up remote device lock and wipe in case of theft or loss. Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Other proactive moves include implementing host- and network-based intrusion detection and intrusion prevention systems or proxy servers to protect SIP trunking. While UC security has come a long way in recent years, it is improving. SIP security features do not, 2010).