Thwart a Telecommunications Thief
When you're calling for messages after that last flight, beware the person
peeking over your shoulder. He just might be stealing your PBX authorization
code or calling card number.
Long distance thieves also use computers to call PBX systems and test random
authorization codes until the correct codes are found. Then they use
your PBX system for calls. To add insult to injury, if they use incoming
800 lines, you could be billed for the 800 calls too.
And it's not just outsiders you need to watch out for. Some
employees use their company's long distance services for purposes other than
official business.
Toll fraud and long distance abuse are on the rise. They come with a hefty
price tag—an estimated one billion dollars a year in the United States
alone.
So how can you protect your company from toll fraud? Time Warner Telecom
offers useful advice for properly securing telephone systems against toll
fraud and helping you maintain business continuity and mitigate potential
damages.
- Use passwords with your PBX and voice mail systems. Randomly change
passwords that allow entry to any direct inward system access port. Limit
passwords to employees who really need to use the system.
- Restrict call
forwarding features on your company PBX or key-system to local calls
only.
- Block calls from high fraud areas—Bangladesh, Cuba, Haiti, India,
Pakistan and the Philippines—and other areas identified as problems
by your PBX system or operator center.
- Restrict the collect-calling option
on your incoming phone lines, including voice mail lines. Ask your account executive to add "billed
number screening" to your telephone lines.
- Establish a line-monitoring
system that alerts you to possible fraudulent use of your private network
or PBX equipment.
- "Shoulder surfing" or visual eavesdropping is still prevalent. Educate
your employees, particularly those who use calling or credit cards, about
how to safeguard their numbers from casual observers when using public
telephones.
- Use calling cards that offer PIN options to each cardholder. Like
a computer password, the PIN number is hidden and the call can't
go through until it's entered. Cellular users should also
use PIN numbers to protect their phones from unauthorized use.
- Educate
your employees to never give their calling card or PIN
numbers to anyone who calls them. People calling to verify card or
PIN numbers are more than likely running a scam since legitimate
companies wouldn't use this approach.
- Restrict your company's
internal telephone directory to employees only, and utilize strict
distribution controls and penalties for failure to comply with the
company's privacy requirements. Shred
old directories when you replace them.
These are some of the ways you can protect your company from becoming one
of the growing number of toll fraud victims. As with most crimes of
theft, those who steal telecommunication services will continue to find ways
to break your security. To keep up-to-date with strategies for protecting
your company, contact Time Warner Telecom's Network Operations Center
at 888-245-0608 or visit www.twtelecom.com.
Note: This information is for educational purposes only. There are
no guarantees with respect to its ability to prevent fraud or assume liability
on the part of TWTC.
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