Control Phreak is a tried and trusted fully automatic PABX firewall which stops telephone hackers (or Phreakers as they are known) from making expensive international calls, landing unsuspecting companies with massive bills - currently running at up to $60 billion per year according to The Communication Fraud Control Association (www.cfca.org).
Chief Architect Roger Ansin says phone systems are susceptible to attack and should be protected by Control Phreak, the only software-based product of its kind on the market, which has an RRP of £450.
Roger who is MD of The Callista Group has teamed-up with Nimans and Rocom to launch the updated and enhanced technology which has taken five years to develop.
“This is essentially a brand new product which is based on an original proto-type we began working on several years ago,” explained Roger. “We wanted to partner with major distributors of the size and capabilities of Nimans and Rocom for maximum market impact and penetration, particularly as problems with phreaking are beginning to escalate.”
Roger says ‘phreaking’ is now so big it’s being masterminded by organised crime and even terrorist groups to raise illicit funds - running at twice the rate of credit card fraud in the UK.
“A phone system is a vital business asset but it’s also one of the most vulnerable,” Roger revealed. “Phone hackers can breach security in milliseconds to make illegal calls which can cost businesses thousands of pounds in bills. Control Phreak provides total around-the-clock protection, detecting and killing any illegal activity, automatically.
“Phone systems are a prime target for hackers, and if they’re not protected, companies won’t find out if they’ve been targeted until their next phone bill, and then it’s too late. It’s not an issue that’s been talked about because there’s been no real solution until now, apart from a few limited options.”
He continued: “It’s a massive international problem. In 2008 outbreaks were estimated to be running at £1.3 billion in the UK alone. When we first started looking at this situation we were not aware of just how big an issue it was. When we looked a bit deeper, the size and scale surprised us. In June this year for example a gang was jailed in New York for running up a $55 million telecommunications fraud in Italy.”
Roger explained: “It’s now big business run by organised crime gangs who employ skilled engineers. They sell call time by effectively becoming a network carrier. They tend to route calls through at least five hacked phone systems, often outside business hours. This makes it difficult to trace and everyone along the way gets burned because if calls are made from a company phone system that business is liable to pay the bill.”
He warned: “Most companies have their PC and data network completely locked down against hackers and viruses. But there are many who have not thought about their phone system which can be just as vulnerable. If access is gained to a phone system, phreakers also have back-door access to the PC and data network. Control Phreak is also very effective here, depending on the type of telephone system being used.”
Control Phreak makes a phone system invisible to hackers so that it’s safe and impenetrable. The technology currently works with several leading telephone systems such as Panasonic’s TDA, TDE and NCP with more brands being tested and added on a regular basis. Remote installation, a permanent licence and 12 months support/upgrades are included in the price.
“Anyone with a PBX is vulnerable. The more lines a customer has, the more money they could potentially lose. We know of one business that lost £27,000 over one weekend. Control Phreak is effective for businesses of any size, even small firms of lawyers for example can get hit. In the UK schools have been targeted in holiday time. Attempts have even been made to hack into our own phone system in New Zealand although obviously they did not get through. Nobody is immune from hacking,” Roger confirmed.
Nimans’ System Sales Director, Phil Adams says ‘phreaking’ is a multi-billion-pound business - an invisible threat that when discovered is too late to do anything about.
“Everyone is aware they need a firewall to protect their computers and it’s the same scenario with telephone systems,” he emphasised. “Control Phreak is the first software-based technology of its kind to prevent hacking occurring.”
Phil says that in addition to financial losses for their customers, resellers face possible court action if they don’t explain the risks involved when installing systems. “Courts internationally are awarding damages against system suppliers. It’s a worrying trend. Resellers should be offering Control Phreak with every new system they sell, as well as approaching their existing customer bases to inform them about this 100% effective solution.”
Phil explained that Control Phreak is end user driven and self managing, making it very reseller friendly. It provides call analysis and real-time call display and is easy to install and manage. Phil concluded: “Selling this product can give resellers a big USP advantage in the market. There is massive potential for them to capitalise on.”