Are VoIP systems prepared for attacks?

What was unique about the worm was its creator's platform of choice — Skype, the communications service owned by eBay with more than 196 million global users. In the long run, the attackers may have inadvertently helped IT administrators by bringing much needed security scrutiny to Skype, as well as to its enterprise-focused voice over internet protocol (VoIP) counterparts.

Consumers looking to cut back on long distance fees are helping Skype rocket in popularity. All the while, corporate decision-makers are exploring the benefits of enterprise VoIP platforms, finding that the integration of communications applications on one device has benefits in user organisation, as well as the added benefit of convenience. And many IT officials now believe that expediency outweighs the high cost of the phones themselves, says Dave Endler, director of security research at TippingPoint.

“I believe that it is cost effective, and that you gain a lot more. You're able to integrate your system with your Active Directory, and in many cases your Microsoft Office applications, and you get a lot more integration and a lot more industry convergence with your traditional data network,” he says.