PROJECT MANAGERS CASEBOOK – POTENTIAL GOTCHAS
Securing your Voice Recording Solution

Whilst voice recording is still considered a ‘black box’ technology in some areas, in real life the servers will more often than not have a core platform based on Windows or Linux OS (Operating System).

When integrated into an organisations network, consideration must be made as to how these servers will be managed in order to minimise any security or vulnerability threat. If your company has an existing security policy, due diligence must be followed to ensure the recording solution is catered for.
Consultation with your recording maintainer should be your first point of call as there may be certain prerequisites that have to be adhered to. In addition if your company deploys an automated system for the application of security patches, updates, service packs etc. you will need to ensure that that these will not have any adverse effect on the recording solution.

In general most recording manufacturers will certify security patches shortly after they have been released by the likes of Microsoft. One important point to note. Modern voice recording solutions may employ more than the humble OS as part of their make up. SQL is a common component and care must be taken that items such as this are not overlooked.

At the point a recording solution is implemented it should have the latest releases and updates installed by your maintainer. From this point on it will need managing. The responsibility for ensuring the recording solution is secure will generally fall on the customers shoulders. The rationale being, that if the recording solution is installed on a secure network there is no security threat. This method works for some companies. Indeed a standalone network is a good answer to the problem although it is not foolproof.

At Business Systems we offer a number of services to help our customers manage this issue:-

1. We provide free email notifications when Microsoft security updates have been certified by the recording manufacturer.
2. We offer a turn key solution to install security updates and just as important carry out a system functionality check afterwards. These can be built into the maintenance contract or ad hoc.
3. We can train your staff on how to apply the updates. This is dependant on site configuration and may not be applicable for all customers.
4. We offer consultancy services to integrate customers patch management solutions with the recording solution.

When considering the above, ask yourself the following questions:-

1. Do we know what the security risks are? Have you considered the implications?
2. Do you have a clear understanding of the servers and the software components that make up your recording solution?
3. If the answer to any of the above questions is no, your first step should be to contact your recorder maintainer.