War Dial Assessment

Digital technologies have dramatically changed the office equipment landscape. Today, virtually all PCs are manufactured with built-in modems that serve a variety of business purposes.  For all their usefulness, however, modems can be open doors through which hackers can attack your network and pirate your data.

• Modems enable remote access via phone line to a server or workstation in order to reestablish a lost Internet connection.
• Modems help bridge the digital divide by accommodating businesses or their employees in areas where DSL is not yet available.
• Most laptops support the insertion of a modem card, which adds fax and other functionality for the convenience of an increasingly mobile workforce.
• Vulnerable modems can be exploited by hackers to gain unauthorized access to your network and data, through a technique known as war dialing.

What is War Dialing?

War dialing typically involves the use of a modem to automatically dial a list of telephone numbers in search of computers, modems and fax machines. Cybercriminals may use war dialing to identify vulnerable machines, which they can exploit to conduct malicious activities ranging from launching DoS attacks to guessing passwords.

How Does a War Dial Assessment Work?

A SECNAP^® War Dial Assessment can help protect your network and information assets by making sure your modems have been identified and secured.The War Dial Assessment is conducted remotely, from SECNAP facilities, using automated, software-based dialing technology to scan a list of client-supplied phone numbers.

The scan identifies the various line types as it dials. If a modem is detected, common logins are attempted to determine whether access can be obtained through the modem—with the purpose of identifying unknown, unauthorized, or vulnerable modems that could serve as open portals to your network or databases.

How Will a War Dial Assessment Benefit Me?

SECNAP leverages specialized hardware and software to dial your entire range of phone numbers, leaving no stone unturned. On completion of the Assessment, a comprehensive report provides an inventory of your modems and identifies vulnerabilities. It will also recommend actions your IT team can take to secure them. Employing this service periodically can help you maintain the most current and effective protection for your information assets—while supporting legitimate business needs and accommodating your remote and mobile employees.

When Should I Have a War Dial Assessment?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions—or are unable to answer them—chances are you have vulnerable modems in your infrastructure:

• Do any of your PCs have modems in them?
• Do you have analog lines at any desktops?
• Do you have dial-up access to routers or firewalls to support remote access during a disaster? Do those lines auto-answer? Are they using strong passwords?
• Do you use modems to communicate fund transfers? If so, do they auto-answer?
• Do any of your remote offices utilize analog phone lines? Have any unauthorized modems been connected?
• Do employees use your analog lines for remote access? When did you last check for modems on those lines?

A SECNAP War Dial Assessment will:

• Answer these imporant questions, assess your risk, and identify where corrective action is needed,
• Enhance the protection of your network and information assets by making sure that all of your modems have been identified and secured, and
• Contribute to your peace of mind.

Click here to request more information or a free consultation. Or call us at 866-732-6276.