Security and Telecoms: How to Keep You and Your Clients Safe

Whether you’re running a large enterprise or a small business, ensuring the security of your telecoms system is critically important. Making sure the safety and integrity of your systems aren’t compromised not only protects sensitive information but also fosters trust with clients and partners.

Here, we explore some key ways to keep your telecoms security systems safe and explain why minimising your telecoms security risk is so crucial.

Regular Software Updates

A great way to ensure your telecoms systems are safe is to schedule regular updates for all telecom-related software, including PBS systems, VoIP applications, and network devices.

This is crucial because software updates usually include patches for security vulnerabilities that have been discovered since the last release. Regular updates help to make sure that these vulnerabilities are addressed promptly, reducing the risk of exploitation by malicious entities.

Staying current with software updates is a fundamental step in maintaining a secure telecom environment.

Strong Password Policies

By implementing policies that require passwords to be long while combining numbers, letters, and special characters, you can minimise your telecoms security risks. You can also enforce periodic password changes and disallow the reuse of old passwords to further enhance security.

Doing this is an important step in safeguarding your telecoms system. Frequently changed passwords make it much more difficult for unauthorised users to gain access, adding an extra layer of security to protect sensitive systems and data from potential breaches.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Try to ensure that all users who access your telecoms system are utilising MFA. This might include something they know, like a password, something they have, like a verification code or one-time password (OTP); or something they are, like facial recognition or fingerprint scanning.

Double authentication being used on a laptop and phone

This can massively reduce the risk of unauthorised access, adding another layer of security that’s much harder to bypass. It also means that, even if a password is compromised, the second-factor authentication gives you that ‘belt and braces’ second line of defence.

Access Control Measures

Define and implement role-based access controls (RBAC) to ensure that users have access only to the systems and information necessary for their roles. You can also regularly review and update access controls as these roles change to make sure they’re still secure.

Limiting access in this way reduces the risk of internal security breaches through user error and minimises potential damage, even if it does occur.

Regular Security Audits and Assessments

A continuous way to keep your telecoms security systems safe is by conducting regular and thorough security audits. At least once per year is a good yardstick, or whenever significant changes are made to the telecom infrastructure.

Regular assessments help identify new vulnerabilities and ensure that existing security measures are effective. These audits provide an opportunity to update and improve security policies and practices, maintaining a robust defence against evolving threats.

Training and Awareness

One of the most common reasons for security breaches is simple user error. Often, this isn’t the fault of the users themselves – it can actually reflect larger, systemic shortcomings around security training and awareness. Try implementing a comprehensive security training programme that covers best practices, common threats (like phishing, for example), and the importance of following security protocols.

You can top these up with regular refresher courses, too, as educated employees are much less likely to be the victims of successful ‘social engineering’ attacks and are more likely to stick to security protocols.

Physical Security Measures

Especially for small businesses, records, passwords, and other sensitive documents are still stored using hard copies. Should these details be misplaced or stolen, it could represent a significant security breach. Similarly, tampering, theft, and unauthorised physical access to telecom equipment can allow criminals to access your system.

Checking that your physical security measures are up to scratch with locked server roos, CCTV monitoring, and access logs can help to make sure that only authorised individuals can gain access.

A filing cabinet with a lock hangs open

Backup Recovery Plans

If a telecoms security breach does occur, it’s important to make sure that your damage control and backup plans are robust enough to handle it. Implement a disaster recovery plan that outlines steps for quick restoration of services.

In the event of a security incident or system failure, having up-to-date backups and a clear recovery plan ensures that services can be restored quickly, minimising downtime and data loss.

Ready to Partner with a Provider That Prioritises Your Security?

At Maincoms, we offer next-generation VoIP telephone systems designed with cutting-edge security features to protect your business communications. With over 50 years of experience, our expertise ensures your telephony infrastructure is both robust and well-protected.

Our professional consultancy services explore your current setup, providing you with tailored recommendations from our wide range of specialised systems. This approach guarantees that you receive the best possible solutions, fortified against emerging threats.

What truly differentiates Maincoms is our commitment to exceptional customer service. Unlike other providers who keep their engineering teams behind the scenes, we place ours front and centre. Every call you make to Maincoms is answered by an engineer, ensuring immediate resolution of your queries and issues by highly accredited professionals.

For more information, you can read more about our services here or feel free to get in touch for a more detailed conversation.