AT&T provides a helpful resource on how to prevent toll fraud, but they warn that they are not responsible for network security: “In the final accounting, however, you, the customer, must become a watchdog over your network if you are to successfully thwart these insidious criminals.” Since carriers cannot assume accountability for enterprise telephone network security, government offices, non-profits, hotels, universities, healthcare facilities, law firms, and other organizations must take a proactive approach to securing their telephone networks. Today’s call accounting software systems provide comprehensive protection to help ensure that toll fraud and other suspicious activities are quickly identified so they can be thwarted.

By deploying a full featured call accounting system companies can be rapidly alerted to unauthorized calls because the system provides real-time call detail records. Sophisticated call accounting systems centralize calls from all sources - wireline, wireless, calling card, and VoIP into a single database so calls can be easily traced to their source. The ability to accurately track calls to their source can help identify where problems originate. Not all fraud involves external criminal elements. Studies show that 85% of corporate espionage is perpetrated by employees. A feature rich call accounting system can track down to the exact station where an internal call originated.

Another important tip that AT&T mentions is that employees should be educated to protect passwords and that they should never program passwords into auto dialers, and never write them down. Simple things like periodically changing the locks on the switch room, continuously monitoring calling patterns, requiring voice mail users to change their PINs frequently, and changing the switch and adjuncts’ passwords can make it hard for telethieves to crack a network. Ultimately the major network security responsibility falls on the enterprise itself. By following simple protection steps and deploying a call accounting system enterprises can reap big security dividends.

Author, Lisa Santora, writes articles on the business benefits of call accounting and call detail record technology. More information can be found at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com.