While ten’s of thousands of families have switched to Voice over IP and Broadband phone service, most are unaware of the many hidden dangers.

These dangers come from cybercriminals who have corrupt intent. Having Voip or Broadband phone service adds more value to a computer when they find it. These computers open up more opportunities for bad guys.

A cybercriminal’s main intent is to steal data and money from their target anyway possible. They are, also, looking for computers they can use, without being noticed, to plan and conduct their criminal activity.

More and more Voip and Broadband phone service is becoming a bigger target. Slowly but surely these cybercriminals are learning how to make money off of breaking into computers with Voip services.

What can a cybercriminal do with the Voip service once they have control of the computer? Here are a few examples:

· They could connect to expensive pay-per-access numbers leaving the computer owner with expensive charges;
· They could listen to your phone conversations learning private information about you and those on the call;
· They could break into a phone line and route calls through the lines. This could save the criminal a lot of money while racking up fees for the computer owner.
· On a more radical note, the cybercriminal could use the computer’s Voip phone service to call his companions and plan criminal activity

There are plenty more ways for the bad guys to use a computer’s Voip phone services. Enough to scare most normal people half to death.

Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your family if you have Voip or Broadband phone services or are planning on making the switch:

· If you use Microsoft Windows make sure you keep up with the latest most up to date patches;
· Use an industrial grade bi-directional firewall. Unfortunately, most over the counter and products offered by Internet services don’t offer this quality technology.
· Make sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware are up-to-date. Use industrial grade products if at all possible.
· Stay away from sites that may have spyware. Uncertain sites that feature gambling and pornography are good examples.

The old saying, “Knowledge is Power” could be changed in this case to, “Knowledge is Security” when it comes to Voip and Broadband phone service.

Beware of the dangers of Voip and broadband phone service and make sure you don’t become a victim of a cybercriminal.

Warren Franklin is an advocate for Internet Security and Safety. You can find out more about his campaign for Internet security at www.completeinternetprotection.com.

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