How Secure Is Your Voicemail?

There are lots of articles in the news lately about voicemails being hacked, like this one in the New York Times.

The root of the problem is that voicemail services try to make it really easy to call and retrieve messages. They do this by putting anyone who calls from your number right into your voicemail box.

Unfortunately, it’s depressingly easy to “spoof” your caller id, and just about anyone can do it – though fortunately, at least sometimes they get caught.

So how do you get around the problem?

It’s pretty easy to add a pin – but who wants to enter 4 or 6 or even 8 digits every time you call to get your messages?

But the real solution is to stop calling to retrieve messages – and to make it difficult for anyone who does.

For example, with YouMail, you can use our handset apps for BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android to retrieve all your messages, so you never need to call. You can then take a minute to set up a long pin, up to 12 digits, and require that pin be entered if someone calls to retrieve messages. And that caller probably isn’t you, since you’re using the apps instead! You’ll only need that pin to log in on the handset – when you first install the client or you upgrade.

And now your voicemail is safe and secure, even if people try to spoof your caller id.