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.
