Lucent Technologies 5 manual Other Security Hints, Educating Users

MERLIN LEGEND Communications System Release 5.0	Issue 1
System Manager’s Guide 555-650-118	June 1997

ACustomer Support Information

Other Security Hints	Page A-15
Other Security Hints	1

Make sure that the Automated Attendant Selector Codes do not permit outside line selection.

Following are a number of measures and guidelines that can help you ensure the security of your communications system and voice messaging system.

Multiple layers of security are always recommended to keep your system secure.

Educating Users 1

Everyone in your company who uses the telephone system is responsible for system security. Users and attendants/operators need to be aware of how to recognize and react to potential hacker activity. Informed people are more likely to cooperate with security measures that often make the system less flexible and more difficult to use.

■Never program passwords or authorization codes onto Auto Dial buttons. Display telephones reveal the programmed numbers and internal abusers can use the Auto Dial buttons to originate unauthorized calls.

■Discourage the practice of writing down barrier codes or passwords. If a barrier code or password needs to be written down, keep it in a secure place and never discard it while it is active.

■Operators or attendants should tell their system manager if they answer a series of calls where there is silence on the other end or the caller hangs up.

■Users who are assigned voice mailboxes should frequently change personal passwords and should not choose obvious passwords.

■The system manager should advise users with special telephone privileges (such as Remote Access, Outcalling, and Remote Call Forwarding) of the potential risks and responsibilities.

■Be suspicious of any caller who claims to be with the telephone company and wants to check an outside line. Ask for a callback number, hang up and confirm the caller’s identity.

■Never distribute the office telephone directory to anyone outside the company; be careful when discarding it (shred the directory).

■Never accept collect telephone calls.

■Never discuss your telephone system’s numbering plan with anyone outside the company.