{"id":27401,"date":"2026-04-06T07:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T05:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smecyberinsights.co.uk\/?p=27401"},"modified":"2026-04-06T13:09:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T11:09:22","slug":"the-pstn-switchoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smecyberinsights.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/04\/06\/the-pstn-switchoff\/","title":{"rendered":"SME Cybersecurity and the PSTN switch-off: secure your phone lines before the deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Gibraltar:\u00a0 Monday, 06 April 2026 \u2013 07:00 CET<\/p>\n

SME Cybersecurity and the PSTN switch-off: secure your phone lines before the deadline
\n<\/strong>By: Iain Fraser<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Cybersecurity Journalist
\n<\/a>Published in Collaboration with:
\nSecurus Technology Group
\n<\/a>SMECyberInsights.co.uk<\/a>\u00a0– First for SME Cybersecurity
\n<\/a>Google Indexed on: 060426 at 08:05 CET<\/a>
\n#SMECyberInsights #SMECybersecurity #SMECyberInsights #SME #CyberSafe #CyberSecurity #Cybersecurity #BT #PSTN<\/em><\/p>\n

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SME Cybersecurity and the PSTN switch-off: secure your phone lines before the deadline<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why the PSTN switch-off is a cyber risk, not just a telecoms job<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your phones still rely on the old copper network, the switch to digital is now a business risk with a cybersecurity edge. For UK SMEs, \u201cvoice\u201d is not just dial tone; it is customer service, payment calls, appointment bookings, and often the route attackers use to impersonate staff, reset passwords, or redirect invoices.<\/p>\n

This matters because the attack trend is already clear. The UK Government\u2019s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 reports 43% of UK businesses<\/strong> experienced a breach or attack in the last 12 months, with phishing still the most common<\/strong> (reported by 37%). Criminals blend email, calls, and SMS into one convincing story, and a rushed phone call is often the final nudge that makes a scam land.<\/p>\n

What is the PSTN switch-off, and what changes for SMEs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is the legacy copper-based phone system. The \u201cswitch-off\u201d means analogue services (including many traditional phone lines and some alarm, lift, and payment lines) must migrate to digital alternatives such as VoIP, hosted voice, or SIP.<\/p>\n

In practice, the security model changes. Your phone service becomes another internet-connected system with an admin portal, user accounts, passwords, call forwarding rules, and integrations. That is great for features, but it also creates new ways to fail: account takeover, fraudulent call routing, SIM swap style social engineering, and outages if your broadband or power drops. BT has set out how it is supporting business customers through the final phase of this transition, including migration activity and communications to remaining PSTN users.<\/p>\n

Where SMEs get caught out: real-world consequences<\/strong><\/p>\n

For a typical UK SME with outsourced IT and a shared admin login, the common pitfalls look like this:<\/p>\n

* Business email compromise meets voice:<\/strong>\u00a0an attacker phones \u201cAccounts\u201d pretending to be your supplier, then follows up with an invoice email. One weak verification step and the bank details change.<\/p>\n

* VoIP admin portal compromise:<\/strong>\u00a0reused passwords let criminals add call forwarding to premium-rate numbers, or intercept verification calls.<\/p>\n

* Resilience gaps:<\/strong>\u00a0broadband router failure or a power cut takes phones down; customer calls then divert to mobiles where staff use personal devices and ad-hoc processes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What should small businesses do first? High-impact steps you can implement this week<\/strong><\/p>\n

Start with controls that reduce fraud and limit blast radius, without needing an enterprise budget:<\/p>\n

1. Create a line and dependency inventory (60 minutes).<\/strong>\u00a0List every PSTN-connected service: handsets, alarms, EPOS, entry systems, fax, lift lines, and auto-diallers. Note the owner, supplier, and renewal date. This stops \u201cmystery lines\u201d breaking on cutover day.<\/p>\n

2. Lock down voice admin access.<\/strong>\u00a0Turn on\u00a0multi-factor authentication (MFA)<\/strong>\u00a0for the voice portal and any Microsoft 365 or Google accounts used to manage it. Remove shared admin accounts; use named admins and least privilege.<\/p>\n

3. Set call forwarding and international dial rules deliberately.<\/strong>\u00a0Disable international and premium-rate dialling unless needed. Add alerts for changes to routing, admin users, and billing thresholds (most hosted voice platforms support this).<\/p>\n

4. Add a simple fraud \u201ccall-back\u201d rule for payments.<\/strong>\u00a0For any change of bank details or urgent payment request, require a call-back using a trusted number from your CRM or supplier onboarding record, not the number in the email. This is cheap, fast, and highly effective against impersonation.<\/p>\n

5. Plan for power and broadband failure.<\/strong>\u00a0Digital voice may need power on-site. Put the router and any essential handsets on a small UPS, and set a fallback (mobile diversion, secondary broadband, or a pre-agreed manual process).<\/p>\n

6. Treat voice logs as security data.<\/strong>\u00a0Keep call detail records and admin audit logs. If a fraud attempt happens, these logs support investigation and insurer queries.<\/p>\n

7. Align to recognised UK guidance.<\/strong>\u00a0Use the NCSC Small Business Guide and\u00a0Cyber Essentials controls<\/strong>\u00a0as your baseline: secure configuration, access control, malware protection, patching, and firewalls. Map your voice platform into those same controls, not as a separate \u201ctelephony\u201d island.<\/p>\n

8. Remember UK GDPR security expectations.<\/strong>\u00a0If calls involve personal data (appointments, payments, health details), ensure \u201cappropriate technical and organisational measures\u201d cover the new system, including access control, staff training, and incident handling.<\/p>\n

Takeaways for SME cyber resilience<\/strong><\/p>\n

The PSTN switch-off is a forcing function. Done well, it improves capability and resilience. Done in a rush, it creates a new fraud and outage surface. Focus on identity security (MFA), tight admin control, payment verification, and basic resilience planning, and you will be ahead of most small firms.<\/p>\n

Download or create a one-page \u201cDigital Voice Cutover Checklist\u201d and use it to run a 30-minute meeting with your IT supplier and finance lead, then assign owners and dates for the eight actions above.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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SECURUS Communications Ltd<\/strong><\/p>\n

Securus<\/a> <\/strong>is a managed communications Operator, providing next-generation network infrastructure and value added services to Managed Hosting providers and the ‘cloud generation’\u200b of enterprises. Securus<\/a> <\/strong>priority is to offer communication services that represent excellent value for money and are backed by exceptional levels of support.<\/p>\n

Contact Securus<\/strong>
\nSecurus Communications Ltd
\nStation Road, Landmark house, Hook, England RG27 9HA, GB
\nT: Enquiries:\u00a003451 283457<\/span><\/a>\u00a0| Service Desk: 03451 283458<\/a>
\nSecurus on LinkedIn<\/a> | Securus on “X”<\/a> | https:\/\/securuscomms.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tLatest Posts from SECURUS Communications<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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