Don’t assume that your contractor changed default passwords or configured your permission lists correctly when installing your enterprise’s voicemail system. 

That’s the tough lesson the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) learned last week when hackers exploited its voicemail system. The fraudsters racked up $14,000 worth of international calls. More... (Voice Report newsletter subscription required to view this article Subscribe or log in.)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) won’t say how hackers were able to dial out from its CallPilot messaging system, racking up $14,000 in calls to the Middle East.

But Nortel Product Line Manager Mark Fletcher has some ideas.

Users probably had default passwords on their mailboxes, such as their extensions or 1234. This is a vulnerability commonly found in the course of security audits, Fletcher explains. More... (Voice Report newsletter subscription required to view this article. Subscribe or log in.)

Toll fraud schemes like the one that victimized FEMA are nothing new. And hackers’ techniques have evolved along with telecom technology, so it’s no longer just a hefty long distance bill you have to fear.

Here are six tips that experts shared with Voice Report to keep your enterprise from becoming fodder for hacker blogs. More... (Voice Report newsletter subscription required to view this article. Subscribe or log in.)

AT&T customers: Get ready to fork over $5 every time you need a customer service record (CSR) on paper. The carrier announced in an e-mail to consultants that it would begin charging California and Nevada enterprise customers for the paper records on Aug. 18. The rest of AT&T’s customers eventually will be charged the same fee. More... (Voice Report newsletter subscription required to view this article Subscribe or log in.)

Rutherford, N.J.-based telecom expense management firm Control Point Solutions will be acquired by HCL Technologies for $20.8 million, HCL announced Aug. 25. HCL is a publicly traded company based in Noida, India, and touts itself as India’s leading global IT services provider. More... (Voice Report newsletter subscription required to view this article Subscribe or log in.)

Find out how to drive down your prices even in a consolidated market, issue RFPs that allow for real-world comparisons, craft Ts & Cs that work for you, fashion a contract that puts you in total control of your move to IP, and much more.

Those are just some of the highlights in store for you at the 16th Annual Telecom Negotiation Conference, in San Diego, CA, September 15-16.  Conference organizers CCMI and Voice Report have assembled the industry’s most in-demand experts to help you from day one and put that knowledge and experience to work for your enterprise.  Make sure you negotiate from a position of strength with the money-saving techniques you'll learn at Telecom Negotiation. 

Save $250 when you register by July 31!  Plus get a FREE DVD that’s the perfect pre-conference tutorial on telecom negotiation fundamentals.  Find out more info at www.CCMI.com/Negotiate or call (866) 620-5938.