VOIP is vulnerable

VOIP offers a host of benefits, from lower calling costs and greater mobility to advanced functions like unified messaging and collaborative whiteboarding, states eWeek.

But as VOIP matures, and as hackers become more familiar with its intricacies, the threats may someday equal the benefits - unless companies prepare now.

Today, the biggest VOIP-related security threats are inside a company's firewall, because for the most part, most systems still rely on a combination of an IP network and the PSTN landline network. Each time a device engages in a VOIP call, the VOIP phone number's IP address is translated into a standard phone number, which is passed through the PSTN network.

The next target hackers may turn their attention to is VOIP, as it is increasingly viewed as a killer application, says eWeek.

To date few hacks of VOIP systems have been publicised, although a handful have been targeted at consumer VOIP services from the likes of Skype and Vonage.

Which is not to say that vulnerabilities don't exist in enterprise VOIP systems. "You'll see vulnerabilities, but we don't see lot of evidence of real attacks-yet," said Mark Collier, chief technology officer of SecureLogix.

According to TMCnet, private label VOIP is an attempt by service provider to deliver services with a system of brand building.

Through this, the clients can offer their services to the end-users under their own brand names with minimal upkeep costs.

The telephony needs can also be met with some extra software that cuts down on the initial expenses, which is often incurred by a client, and these benefits make private label VOIP services lucrative.