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Analog's Not Dead Yet
While IP PBXs can eliminate analog lines from your organization completely and deliver packetized voice directly to your carrier, you should avoid this setup. Keep some analog lines connected to your enterprise in case of emergency--if your data network has a catastrophic failure, it's important to have the ability to make calls for emergency services until the data problem is solved.
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On the management side, any access to change configuration of the IP PBX should be carried out on specific TCP/UDP ports that can be encrypted. Limiting administrative access to a particular IP address can also thwart would-be intruders. To avoid IP spoofing, the MAC (Media Access Control) and IP addresses of authentic administrative terminals should be bound together.
Make a New Plan, Stan
The best defense is to be aware of possible holes in your networks, including those in your voice systems. Endeavor to create a risk assessment to pinpoint vulnerable areas in your IP PBX. A comprehensive guide to conducting a PBX vulnerability analysis is available in PDF form from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Special Publication 800-24). Any assessment should start with defining which PBX services your employees will need, then determining how open those services may be to security attacks. In your assessment, realize that attacks on the IP PBX could come from behind the firewall--a disgruntled user might try to take down your phone system.
VPNs should be used for any external access to the IP PBX, including access by telecommuters or branch office employees who use the corporate voice network. A little latency is a small price to pay for the security this setup provides.
Whatever services you deploy from your IP PBX, constantly testing for security breaches is paramount. Scheduled scanning should be part of your regular regimen. And when breaches occur, it is important to have a plan of action ready. Don't wait until your IP PBX goes down before you think about how to get it back into service.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
