As an organization grows, too often it finds that the user community installs unauthorized modems. Some modems may allow unauthorized access to computer systems on the internal network. A Telecommunications Audit by ESTec is a thorough search, for the purpose of identifying all modems, authorized or not, that are connected to the internal network.

Sample Case

Customer: A Multi-State American Bank
Services: Telecommunications Audit
Problem: As part of a comprehensive security audit, we performed a telecommunications audit for the bank's phone systems in 12 states.
Solution: An ESTec consultant identified all of the phone numbers the bank was paying for. Using a Telecommunications Audit tool, a telecommunications sweep of these phone numbers took place over several days during off-business hours. Numerous unauthorized modems were discovered including one connected to the wire transfer room computer. Several of the modems allowed anonymous connections that granted access to the internal network.
Results: All modem connections were replaced with a modem pool allowing access through a firewall. The firewall required token-based authentication before granting access to the internal network, and access was limited to the systems required by each authenticated user. The bank reduced the number of phone lines needed to service the dial-in and dial-out users, saving enough in the first year to justify the Telecommunications Audit and the cost of installing the modem pool.