Are You Ready for a TDoS Attack?

The weekend was a great time to relax and revisit one installation in the Die Hard series on DVD. As I watched the fourth installment in this exciting story, I found myself less and less enthralled with the talents of John McClane simply because the details of the story were a little more sci-fi than I was willing to believe. Really – every intelligent individual on the inside of the government is inept in anticipating and stopping cybercriminals?

Whether or not you believe the fire sale theory, the story did point to one very real threat – Denial of Service or DoS. Overloading a system so that it can’t perform and is more likely to shut down is not the product of Hollywood writers, but unfortunately a very real threat for IT administrators everywhere. And, it can happen on the business phone systems side as well.

Threats of TDoS (telephony denial of service) are very real and can render a business down and out if not mitigated quickly. A recent post on TelcoDepot (News - Alert).com outlined the very real threats and what happens in an attack. For a TDoS to be successful, cybercriminals must simultaneously bombard public telephone lines with bogus calls so that genuine callers can’t get through. When this occurs, the business can experience damage to its processes, financial transactions and the corporate image.

Those operations relying on VoIP to power their business phone systems should take specific steps, including the deployment of firewalls on the corporate phone network and the use of dynamic network designs to limit the likelihood of TDoS attacks. Businesses can also launch active social media accounts and emergency phone lines that are not disclosed to the public as part of their business continuity plans to allow for effective intervention during the recovery stage.

“Though unlikely, TDoS attacks pose a serious threat to business operations,” said TelcoDepot.com CEO Yaron Ram on the original post. “Because TDoS attacks cripple business communications, they have an unprecedented ability to cause significant financial loss for businesses – the major reason why we published this post highlighting the dangers of these attacks and simple prevention strategies businesses can adopt.”

It’s hard to believe that a business would be targeted by unknown and unseen criminals for a TDoS if potential gain on their end is not readily obvious. These attacks can happen if the criminals are targeting the revenue captured on a VoIP account, the potential to divert calls and capture personal information, or to simply damage a business. The motives aren’t nearly as important as the steps taken to prevent problems in the future.

This is why it’s so important to partner with a proven provider when it comes to business phone systems. A company with the know-how and insight into the threats and opportunities in the industry offers considerably more value than the first company you come across in the phone book. It’s important to do your homework and vet providers for the value they bring in protecting your system and your business in the wake of an attack.

What Kind of Support is Provided?

Ask this question of any company offering business phone systems. You don’t need to know just what they plan to do in the wake of an attack, but how they plan to support your system in the midst of everyday business activity. Simple human error could render your system unusable. What kind of business continuity plans do they recommend you implement and how will they respond when a problem occurs?

What Level of Business Continuity do they Advise?

If you have to bring up the topic of business continuity in the conversation with a potential vendor, run the other way. Business phone systems that rely on the corporate network for operation cannot simply rely on the corporate plan to ensure success. You must have a business continuity plan specifically for the phone system and it has to be advised by the experts in the field.

Will they Provide Redundancy or Failover?

That business continuity plan needs more than just a strategy – it also needs action points. Anything that serves as a threat to the communications channel should be examined in the plan, and action steps included for the day the threat becomes a reality. If the provider doesn’t offer you redundancy or failover provisions, you will have to provide for them on your own. They can mirror your system, but if your numbers are hijacked, it will take a tougher strategy to get you back on course.

Don’t take shortcuts when it comes to your business phone systems as the threat of attack is real, regardless of your industry. Ask the tough questions of any provider that wants your business and set your standards high when it comes to service delivery. If you don’t get what you need, keep on looking.