Quarterly Newsletter April - June 2007

In this Issue

Fraud Alert - Phone Phishing

Headsets - You Are Free to Roam

Did You Know...TeleVantage 7.0 - Product of the Year

Voicemail Tip

Upcoming Events

Holiday Closings

Fraud Alert - Phone Phishing

Have you looked closely at your phone bill? Perhaps you should—not only to see if you are getting the best rates but, to make sure you are not a victim of toll fraud. Toll fraud occurs when “hackers” access a your PBX through a voicemail box and then begin to make toll calls—charged to you!
Hackers can gain access by running through a list of easy to guess passwords. A first layer of protection against this malevolent practice is to disallow easy to guess passwords like ones that contain extension numbers or consecutive / repetitive digits. A second layer of defense is to require a specific length of characters, such as 6 digits. This will make the password harder to guess. Additionally, having users periodically update passwords makes them harder to guess. And lastly, administrators should lock out users after a specific number of failed attempts to login.
As a general rule, instruct employees and coworkers not to give out their voicemail passwords over the phone. Like ‘phishing’ this gives the person on the other end complete access to your information. If you do receive a call from a person requesting your password, do not give it to them—hang up the phone and report the incident to your telephone administrator.

Headsets - You Are Free to Roam

Sure headsets look cool and sleek but besides the fashion statement, what else can they do?
Headsets allow employees to be more productive in a couple of ways. First, and foremost, they free up a users hands so they can continue to work while on the phone. Secondly, cordless and Bluetooth® headsets allow people to move around the office and continue their conversations. There is no need to be tied to a desk for the next conference call. Thirdly, headsets are ergonomic and help reduce neck and back strain.


Today’s headsets have many different wearing styles to suit just about everyone’s preference. And, they have commercial quality sound so everything will sound as it should.

To learn more about headsets and the types offered by Alternate Access, visit our website at http://AlternateAccess.com.

Did You Know…

Did you know that Vertical TeleVantage 7.0 was recognized as "Product of the Year" by Communications Solutions Magazine in the May 2006 issue? They also received an "A" rating from VoIP Magazine's CT Labs last spring!

Voicemail Tip

You should always record your greeting and voice title in your own voice.  Never leave the system generated greeting and voice title.

Upcoming Events

June 2007

Alternate Access® will be exhibiting at the Super Floral Show in Columbus, OH.

Holiday Closings

Friday April 6, 2007 – Good Friday
Monday May 28, 2007 – Memorial Day


Learn More. Contact Alternate Access

 

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