When your employees are working from home, managing call forwarding securely becomes essential to keep your business communications reliable and protected. Call forwarding lets you redirect phone calls from one number to another, such as from an office desk phone to a home mobile or VoIP app. While this flexibility supports remote working, it also introduces risks if not set up and controlled properly.
Improperly managed call forwarding can lead to missed calls, unauthorised access to sensitive conversations, or even fraud if calls are redirected to malicious numbers. For UK SMEs, this can affect customer trust, disrupt operations, and potentially expose personal data, risking non-compliance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Ensuring call forwarding is secure helps maintain staff productivity and protects your reputation.
Typical Scenario: A Growing SME's Challenge
Consider a UK-based company with around 50 staff that recently shifted to hybrid working. They use a VoIP phone system with call forwarding to allow home workers to receive calls seamlessly. However, without strict controls, some employees forwarded calls to personal mobiles without informing IT, leading to confusion over call routing and occasional missed customer calls. Worse, one forwarded number was accidentally set to an external international line, incurring unexpected costs and raising security concerns.
A proactive managed IT provider helped by auditing call forwarding rules, implementing role-based permissions, and enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for managing phone settings. They also set up logging and alerts for unusual forwarding changes. This approach reduced errors, improved call reliability, and ensured compliance with internal policies and relevant UK data protection standards.
Checklist for Secure Call Forwarding Management
- Ask your IT provider: How do they control and audit call forwarding settings? Is MFA required for changes?
- Review access rights: Ensure only authorised staff can set or change forwarding rules, ideally via role-based permissions.
- Check forwarding destinations: Restrict forwarding to approved numbers or domains, avoiding international or unknown lines unless necessary.
- Enable logging and alerts: Maintain detailed logs of all forwarding changes and set up notifications for unusual activity.
- Regularly review rules: Schedule periodic audits of call forwarding settings to identify and correct errors or outdated rules.
- Include forwarding in your security policy: Document acceptable use and procedures for call forwarding as part of your wider IT and data protection policies.
- Train staff: Ensure employees understand the risks and correct process for managing call forwarding, especially when working remotely.
Next Steps
Managing call forwarding securely is a practical step to safeguard your business communications and maintain smooth operations for home workers. If you're unsure about your current setup or want to improve controls, speak with a trusted managed IT provider or IT advisor who understands UK SME needs and compliance requirements. They can help you implement appropriate policies, technical controls, and monitoring to reduce risks and support your remote working strategy.