Hurricane Sandy and telecom fraud

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a disaster with losses topping $50 billion, we are seeing not only the expected economic and financial consequences, but also an uptick in telecom fraud.

Reports of fraudsters taking advantage of the disaster are continuing to come out, many in the telecommunications sector. A natural disaster, when normal work is disrupted or employees are unable to come into the office, makes for an ideal environment for fraudsters to work.

In the case of Hurricane Sandy, many fraudsters looked to vulnerable VoIP systems. As networks were busy switching to and from back up servers, attackers were able to hack into unprotected networks and make illegal calls, racking up major bills for some service providers.

These events remind us why every business needs a sound business continuity and disaster recovery plan. Part of that plan must include protecting your network from telecom fraud.

Look to telecom fraud monitoring solutions, such as SDReporter and NexOSS from TransNexus for simple and automatic fraud monitoring and alerts. In the case of a disaster, your fraud detection system will let you focus on the important task of getting your business back on its feet, without worrying about being taken advantage of.