Huge losses for companies after switchboards hacked

PRESS RELEASE
Lume Ltd
21 March 2013

Huge financial losses for companies after switchboards hacked

Lume Ltd has become aware recently of a number of incidents where voice over internet protocol (VOIP) phone systems of companies have been hacked, leaving those companies with losses from very high phone bills.

“The introduction of super fast broadband will make this more of a problem than it already is,” says Lume Ltd Managing Director Richard Cheeseman.

“Essentially the hackers dial their own 0900 numbers – we know sites in Somalia and East Africa – and then they run up huge bills to themselves. Your phone provider has no choice but to claim the money from you and to pay that money over to those numbers, because of obligations from international agreements.

“In the end you’re left carrying the can because it’s your job to secure your phone system properly,” he said.

In the two incidents:

1. Somebody hacked in to the company’s VOIP phone system, stole a password and used that account to run up huge phone bills

2. A hacker ‘pretended’ to be a phone on the system, logged-in remotely and ran up a large phone bill

Richard said the biggest cause of security breaches is companies not updating their phone operating systems regularly, like applying ‘updates’ or ‘patches’ when they come through from providers.

“Ensure you have proper security on your network and phone system and use secure passwords,” he said.

Ends/…

ABOUT LUME LTD

Lume Managed Service Integration is a new service that provides businesses with an independent outsource IT and telecommunications management facility and Helpdesk services - specifically to provide governance around the diverse number of technology suppliers and solutions most companies have to manage nowadays.

IT support companies and vendors have a vested interest in selling their solution, regardless of whether it is the best one for the company or not. Lume Ltd is an IT and telecommunications specialist with a passion for independence and a focus on making sure its clients have the best possible solutions and best possible service from vendors.

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