Wildix Blog

2 August 202125 February 2022

WebRTC, a Critical Component of VoIP and UCC

Why your communications system needs this pivotal web technology

The effectiveness of any unified communications and collaboration solution depends on the working parts inside it. As your organization’s main data channel to customers and colleagues, your VoIP system must have smart technological components to function safely and efficiently.

But, how do you determine something so important, especially if you don’t have much detailed technical knowledge? One of the easiest ways is to check if the solution uses WebRTC, a highly effective component for VoIP technology.

For the biggest reasons why, this post will take you on a deep dive into WebRTC and how it works.

What Is WebRTC?

Short for “Web Real-Time Communications,” WebRTC is an internet technology that was created in 2011. The technology itself is a collection of Javascript APIs, or functions and commands created from existing code in web browsers. Its purpose is to collect data input by users, then transfer that information directly to a contacted second party.

Notably, WebRTC is open source, meaning anyone can add to it, develop it or use it entirely for free. All this is great news for developers because WebRTC is immensely helpful for creating a wide variety of web communication tools.

The primary reason why is its usability. As previously said, WebRTC allows for instant data collection and transfers, making it a highly effective way to establish online communications. While it’s primarily known for voice and video streaming, it can also exchange other data such as text or files.

However, what’s especially groundbreaking about WebRTC is that it works entirely as its own web component. Regardless of whether you’re sending or receiving information, this technology will always handle the operation itself, without additional plugins. This means that when an application uses WebRTC, it will never need additional installs to perform real-time communications.

Another significant advantage is that WebRTC handles data transfers through peer-to-peer connections. Rather than going to a server, the information streams directly from one user to the other. This further increases its ease in development and usability by simplifying the communications process as a whole.

WebRTC for Browser Applications

Unsurprisingly, then, one of the biggest advantages of WebRTC is enabling VoIP solutions or even video calling applications to run directly in the browser.

Put another way, a significant number of UCC and VoIP services have to be downloaded and installed to operate. However, this can often create a less intuitive user experience. If you only use UCC for the occasional video meeting, it can be annoying to launch an additional app every day. Alternatively, if you work within your browser, switching from it to a separate program wastes time and decreases focus.

But with WebRTC, users don’t have to bother with these tedious processes. The nature of this technology means that all your communications happen right in the browser, all as soon as you log in.

Because WebRTC works through fundamental web coding, this convenience extends to all major browsers as well. Google Chrome readily accepts all WebRTC content, as do Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge. The same goes for mobile browsers, meaning you don’t need a separate mobile app to use these tools on the go.

WebRTC and security

Considering how frequently cyberattacks target UCC systems, it’s especially convenient that WebRTC features plenty of built-in security measures.

Notably, WebRTC establishes its communications through direct peer-to-peer connections. This means that instead of sending you to a third-party server, you are patched directly to the other user. As a result, your communications are accessed by exactly two entities: yourself, and the person you’re talking to. At no point in the process is your data accessed by an additional piece of hardware or technicians.

This is vitally important for security because it minimizes the stages during which your data can be illicitly accessed. If your communications are routed to an external server, hackers may be able to breach it and intercept your data there. If your connection is accessed by techs or data is offloaded, it can be picked up by hackers there as well. By eliminating these vulnerable points, WebRTC limits how hackers can access your data and keeps your communications far more secure.

However, even without servers, data can still theoretically be hacked during its peer-to-peer transfer between applications. Fortunately, WebRTC includes built-in measures to prevent this.

WebRTC also features data encryption, or protocols that encode your data to prevent illicit access. Two measures — Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) and Secure Real-Time Protocol (SRTP) — work in tandem for this process.

As a result, your data is encrypted with codes that are:

- Highly complex
- Unique to this one communications session
- Verified at the beginning of the session as unique and complex
- Never decrypted before reaching the users’ application

These factors all ensure that there is a minimal chance of hackers gaining access to your data. Even if they intercept it, they will have virtually no ability to decode and consequently use it.

WebRTC also provides built-in protections against intrusions by being hosted entirely within your browser. Since WebRTC doesn’t need any installations to run, it doesn’t actually exist on any files in your computer. This means that even if hackers remotely access your device, they will have no way to access your actual communications system.

Finally, because WebRTC runs directly in the browser, it is automatically updated every time your browser gets an update. This means getting the latest version of the tool just takes re-launching your browser, further streamlining overall usability.

WebRTC and Wildix

All these reasons are why Wildix is built primarily on WebRTC, and how Wildix gains tremendous security and ease of use.

Thanks to WebRTC, Wildix can launch a full suite of communications tools right in your browser. With no additional downloads, you’ll have access to chat, voice calls, video conferences and even full-on webinars.

As for security, Wildix gains additional inherent protection thanks to its foundation on WebRTC technology. With direct peer-to-peer connections and innate encryption for all your data, Wildix achieves total data security without sacrificing usability.

With highly effective, enterprise-grade capabilities across the board, Wildix makes the most of WebRTC for a truly effective UCC solution. As far as modern communications systems go, it easily leads in the market by utilizing and even expanding on this key Open Source technology.

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12 July 202119 July 2021

Channel Capacity: What Is a SIP Channel?

How to Set Up Your SIP Trunk the Right Way

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers are often asked the same question: “How many SIP channels do I need?”

While the answer to this question depends on a number of different factors, this article will help clarify some of the most common concepts around SIP channel capacity so that you can make an informed decision regarding your communication strategy. Continue reading “Channel Capacity: What Is a SIP Channel?”

1 July 202114 September 2021

TLS 1.2 and You: Why You NEED to Upgrade Your Security

If you’re using devices that run TLS 1.0 or 1.1, it’s imperative you change them.

With hacking techniques constantly growing more effective, it’s crucial that your UCC security is constantly updated to keep up. This also applies when it comes to one of the most long standing systems protecting communication networks: TLS.

Short for “Transport Layer Security,” TLS is a security protocol that keeps communications unreadable to eavesdroppers — but only if it’s a version that’s up to date. This is crucial to note because, due to improved code-cracking from hackers, the oldest versions of TLS, 1.0 and 1.1, are now vulnerable to attacks.

Unfortunately, this means that any devices that still use TLS 1.0 or 1.1 jeopardize the security of your entire network. Because many devices using these versions cannot be upgraded, you should immediately replace any hardware using TLS 1.0 or 1.1 with models that use a more reliable version, TLS 1.2.

You can find Wildix devices that are end-of-life due to TLS issues here.

To explain why it’s so crucial to upgrade any hardware running TLS 1.0/1.1, let’s discuss the topic in more detail.

What is TLS?

TLS is a security procedure used between two parties — a client and a server — when exchanging information over the internet.

This procedure begins with the client and the server identifying themselves, then agreeing on both a private and shared code to use in a process known as a “handshake.” After this, the connection is secure because both the client and the server are communicating through advanced cryptographic techniques, meaning only they can understand it.

In short, TLS encodes online data in such a way that even if a hacker broke into your network to listen in, they can neither understand nor decode your information.

What’s Different About TLS 1.2?

An inherent weakness in TLS is that the security it offers boils down to secure ciphers. By design, TLS is only secure so long as its codes cannot be cracked by an outsider.

Unfortunately, this is exactly the issue with TLS 1.0 and 1.1: the ciphers these protocols create can be decoded by an outside party.

The problem here comes down to the methods of encryption that TLS 1.0 and 1.1 use, in particular a means of encoding (called a “hashing algorithm”) known as SHA-1. By now, the codes that SHA-1 generates can be cracked with fairly rudimentary tools, meaning hackers can potentially listen in on conversations encrypted with TLS 1.0 or 1.1.

This kind of flaw in cryptography is what TLS 1.2 was designed to fix. Rather than use SHA-1, TLS 1.2 uses the updated hashing algorithm SHA-256, which is still complex enough and secure enough to remain uncracked.

As far as security goes, the difference is black and white: TLS 1.2 uses encryption that can’t be broken, while TLS 1.0 and 1.1 will always be at risk of exposure. As a result, Google Chrome and other major browsers suspended their support for TLS 1.0/1.1 in early 2020, meaning accessing them through outdated TLS devices may cause compatibility issues.

What Could Happen If I Don’t Switch?

There are two worst-case scenarios of leaving TLS 1.0/1.1 UCC devices on your network.

First, hackers or other intruders will have an easier time intruding on any communications you send over the internet. Practically speaking, this means attackers can intercept and decrypt phone calls, videoconferences or text messages, or pose as a genuine user on your network and receive communications from you directly.

Obviously, either scenario can easily result in confidential information — including corporate intel, passwords or even financial details — being leaked. Furthermore, if either happens, you won’t even know your messages are being intercepted, as if TLS is decrypted it can’t safeguard your system any further.

Second, using TLS 1.0/1.1, entities from outside your organization can register themselves on your UCC devices by obtaining a device’s credentials. The fallout of this security breach can be immediate. Once on your network, hackers can use your devices to place phone calls, which in a worst-case scenario can rack up thousands of dollars in international dialing expenses after only a few days.

Again, it cannot be overemphasized that both these outcomes are entirely possible so long as TLS 1.0/1.1 devices remain on your network. The only way to safeguard yourself from financial loss and identity exposure in this manner is to make the switch to TLS 1.2.

For added security on your network, consider making use of Wildix, the only platform on the market that’s 100% secure by design for safe communications without external SBCs or VPNs. Read the full details on how Wildix achieves that security in our security white paper.

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17 June 202126 July 2022

Improve Your Customer Journey and Contact Center Operations with x-caracal

More on the new software that improves customer interactions and empowers call centers

Especially when it comes to call centers and contact centers, it’s pivotal that modern enterprises make use of a customer journey map. Customer journey mapping, in short, is the visualization of the various stages potential customers go through when interacting with a company. This is useful for understanding how these leads see your company while learning more about it. Continue reading

13 May 202112 February 2024

The Universal Value of CLASSOUND

How Wildix’s global calling service goes beyond the capabilities of a traditional SIP trunk

Implementing SIP trunks — especially on an international scale — is usually a difficult process. Even after finding carriers to handle call exchanges across regions, these trunks often have poor security due to no TLS support, as well as no failover protections and difficulties in installation and maintenance.

It was in order to solve problems such as these that Wildix initially created CLASSOUND, a fully Cloud-based service that goes beyond SIP trunks in its capabilities. Using CLASSOUND, companies can enjoy the full capabilities of a communications system with global coverage, combined with the security and maintenance they’d expect from a modern enterprise-grade VoIP system.

Continue reading “The Universal Value of CLASSOUND”