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There might be an understandable case of nerves going around Cisco (News - Alert). According to CIO, security firm HackLabs “is expected to demonstrate at AusCERT 2011 how hackers perform VoIP attacks and identify weaknesses in Cisco and other manufacturers VoIP phones.”

In other words, Cisco will be asked to play the Washington Generals to HackLabs’ Harlem Globetrotters. Stand right... there for the pie in the face please, sir, the audience loves this one.

HackLabs director Chris Gatford didn’t tell CIO what type of Cisco VoIP phones and systems will be examined for their security weaknesses during what HackLabs officials say will be "a one-day tutorial" of training in which "participants will learn how hackers perform VoIP Attacks and how to remediate common vulnerabilities. Attendees will learn how hackers can methodically gain entry access to an organization's telephony systems to steal information and abuse services."

Nobody’s saying Cisco phones are unusually prone to such attacks, but HackLabs needed a lady to saw in half, and Cisco was volunteered.

Late last year TMC’s (News - Alert) Anduradha Shukla wrote that Nextiva was offering and supporting Cisco's latest line of business VoIP phones:

“The Cisco SPA 300 and 500 series IP phones promise many great benefits said Nextiva. Each phone in the 300 and 500 series includes state-of-the-art features, comes with Cisco's hardware reliability, and is attractively priced for customers.”

Nextiva sells cloud-based business VoIP services. The company noted that Cisco SPA 300 and 500 VoIP phone lines are designed for use with services like Nextiva.

Commenting on the collaboration between the two companies Nextiva CEO, Thomas Gorny, said in a statement, “One of the benefits of choosing Nextiva is knowing you always have access to the latest VoIP technology. The new Cisco phones are the best out there right now, and we’re thrilled to be able to provide them to our small business customers.”

Nextiva further notes that each Cisco phone provides all the traditional business phone features, such as call waiting, call forwarding, call transfer, and more.