DDoS attacks against VoIP providers
Are your VoIP phone services interrupted? You aren’t alone. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening and how it will impact you and your business.
What is DDoS
DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service, and occurs when perpetrators overwhelm servers, portals, and gateways with a flood of requests and traffic, completely bogging it down until it crashes.
Attacks are being carried out right now against some of the largest upstream providers of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services. It looks like the threat actors are impersonating a group known for ransomware (holding data hostage, or blocking access to it, until paid), and are demanding over $4.2M.
What happens next?
Right now the VoIP providers are juggling customer service, dealing with the attackers’ demands, and trying to restore their servers. Some strides have been made, but customers will likely experience service interruptions for a little while longer.
What does this DDoS attack mean for you and your cybersecurity?
The good news is that it doesn’t pose any threat to you directly, or to your data. The impact is upstream at the VoIP provider, but the trickle-down, of course, is that you may have trouble accessing their services and/or website. VoIP providers know how critical these services are to your operations, and will continue to work around the clock to restore normal operations.
Cybersecurity for your business or organization
It’s easy to assume you’ll never be a target, until you are. As IT service providers, we’ve seen this play out again and again. We’ve assembled a few resources for you to help make sure your own business and networks are protected, minimizing risk and the threat of costly downtime:
- 5 Ways to Protect Your Small Business from a Cyber Attack
- What Every Business Needs to Know About Ransomware
- The 4 Most Prevalent VoIP Security Threats
- Backup and Disaster Recovery
