Rising Cybersecurity Threats in the Telecommunication Industry (2021)

The telecommunication industry is vital as it keeps the world connected 24/7 - be it business or private communication, telecom has become a vital part of our daily lives. That is why telecom infrastructure needs to be resilient against cybersecurity threats, especially as these threats are becoming more and more complicated and exponential. 

The growing number of technology, and data transmission has led to an increase in DDoS and other forms of attacks that telecom companies have to face on a daily basis. In this blog, we aim to highlight key cybersecurity threats to telecommunication in 2021 and ways to protect the telecom infrastructure against such threats. 

Key Cybersecurity issues in Telecom 

With cloud technology, cybersecurity threats are emerging, and companies are rolling out tools to protect against such attacks. Below are some of the most common cybersecurity threats facing telecommunication companies:

1.  DDoS attacks 

Telecom companies are a prime target for DDoS attacks. In 2018, almost 65% of the DDoS attacks were aimed at communication providers alone. DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service is an attack where normal traffic is disrupted and causes a denial of service for the target. Interruption in service can result in great financial loss for the company. 

One way to protect against it is by using a VPN. A Virtual Private Network uses military-grade encryption protocols to encrypt online data and makes it untraceable and unhackable. Our top recommendations are ExpressVPN and NordVPN. You can also check the ExpressVPN vs NordVPN test to see which VPN is the best at encryption and security. 

Other ways to protect against DDoS attacks is to have real-time DDoS monitoring in place for early detection and set up an Access control list (ACL) and black hole scrubbing to identify malicious traffic from good traffic. 

2. IoT Security 

One of the greatest challenges for telecommunication and internet service providers (ISPs) is IoT network security.  In 2021, it is estimated by Gartner that 25 billion devices will be connected to the internet. Such a large network serves as a target pool for cybercriminals resulting in severe issues like hacking, data breach and more. Some of the most common types of cybersecurity threats facing IoT devices include:

• DDoS attacks 
• Network congestion 
• RFID interference 
• Routing attacks 
• Sybil attacks 

Network operators need to use online privacy tools like a VPN and UICC based mechanisms to secure the identification of IoT devices on the network. A VPN will encrypt data to ensure network resilience and privacy. VPN tunnelling protocols like Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) and OpenVPN will secure all IoT devices on a network. 

3. SIP Hacking 

SIP or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) hacking is the most common cybersecurity threat in Voice-over-IP (VoIP) communications. Without preventive measures, hackers can easily tap into VoIP calls and distribute SIP malware or tamper with the service. Some of the most common types of SIP attacks in 2020 included:

• SIP toll fraud 
• SIP trunk hacking 
• Caller ID spoofing 
• DDoS attacks on the system 

Back in 2019, an attacker targeted a US-based company that used an Asterisk-open source software for VoIP. The attacker targeted 1500 unique getaways that were tied to almost 600 businesses. The cybercriminals used an injection technique over HTTP to inject a PHP shell into the company’s server - having access to databases, call recording and more. 

The best way to protect against SIP hacking is to use a VPN with strong encryption protocols to protect all your data transmissions. Using a VPN is the easiest way to secure VoIP against SIP attacks. With a VPN, you can even get a dedicated IP for your company and secure all your network devices. 

4. DNS Attacks 

DNS or Domain Name Security attacks are also quite prevalent in the telecom industry. What’s more concerning is that over the years, these attacks are increasing and becoming quite complex. According to the Global DNS Threat Report, in 2020 alone, 79% of the companies faced DNS attacks. A single DNS attack can cost you around 5 million USD. 

Some of the most common types of DNS attacks include:

• DNS rebinding attack 
• Cache poisoning 
• DNS tunnelling 
• DNS hijacking 
• Phantom domain attack 
• Domain lock-up 

Best practices to prevent DNS attacks include taking proactive cybersecurity measures to ensure high cyber resilience. One way to ensure that is to use a Virtual Private Network for data encryption and security. Similarly, you can use ML-driven policies to boost your firewalls and implement real-time analytics for DNS threats and suspicious activities. 

Conclusion

These are some of the most common cybersecurity threats facing the telecom industry. Safeguarding against these risks is not an easy task and a one-time thing, but you can take a step forward with these proactive measures to strengthen the security of your infrastructure.

The telecom industry is undergoing rapid transformation, and it’s time we switch from reactive to proactive security measures. With the proper online privacy and security tools like a VPN, you can protect your systems against cybercriminals - considering emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, and more.