Session Border Controller: Perfect and Indispensable Solution for Secure VoIP Network
As
long as voice traffic was confined to PSTN channels everything was
fine from security and confidentiality viewpoints. The shift to VoIP
networks using the internet for communications has brought in many
new features and facilities and, at the same time, vulnerabilities
due to the inherent nature of IP based operations. VoIP service
providers are growing and so are the attempts at hacking.
VoIP
carriers and service providers usually implement class 4 and class 5
softswitches but without a session border controller, the chain is
incomplete. A software based SBC
solution is
indispensable for a number of reasons for bulk users and providers of
VoIP services.
Security
VoIP
hacks are on the rise with both SIP trunking and hosted PBX under
attack. Traffic flows over the internet and any hacker can access the
network and target various underlying protocols such as SIP, SCCP and
H225 with SIP bearing the brunt. SIP networks can come down with
DDOS. Caller ID spoofing is another activity that compromises
security of a network and also causes revenue losses. Toll fraud is
another way VoIP service providers can be affected. Those who barge
into voice traffic over IP networks can get confidential data.
Implementation of session border controller at originating and
receiving end helps prevent any such event from occurring and
affecting security of the VoIP network. SBC masks IP, encrypts voice
data, scans traffic for suspicious activity and blocks intruders or
attempts at intrusion. SBC authenticates call end points and prevents
unauthorized or unregistered points from accessing the VoIP networks.
Hackers can play havoc with a VoIP network and cause untold revenue
loss and the service provider also loses trust reposed in him by his
clients who may shift to other carriers. A session border controller
software solution is not expensive but can be considered as an
investment that pays off by way of improved billing and statistics as
well as security features.
The
other side of the coin to SBC incorporation is media transcoding.
Users across the world may have several different codecs in use and
SBC provides the universal handshake besides doing such other things
like optimizing bandwidth, least cost routing, load balancing, voice
quality and packets and easily interconnect legacy phones and faxes.
There are no interruptions or loss in call quality when a suitable
SBC solution is in place.
While
this is important, the matter of security is even more so especially
from the service provider’s perspective. SBC
developments
that
emphasize security give peace of mind for users who have such
solutions in place. Media transcoding and other benefits are the
icing on the cake.
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