SIM swapping is a fraudulent activity where scammers gain control of someone's mobile phone number, resulting in financial loss, identity theft, and privacy breaches. To prevent users from falling victim to such scams, the government and telecommunications companies are taking measures to combat SIM-related frauds.
Also Read: DoT Disconnects 30,000 SIM Cards in Mumbai for Document Fraud: Report
Route Mobile, a leading provider of Cloud Communications Platform services, has introduced Route Guard, an SMS Fraud Prevention Solution designed for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Enterprises. They have also launched TruSense, a Digital Identity and Security Service, at the Mobile World Congress 2023, addressing these pressing issues.
In an interview with TelecomTalk, Rajdip Gupta, MD and Group CEO of Route Mobile, delves into the latest trends in anti-phishing measures, SIM swapping fraud, and provides insights into the measures that individuals and businesses can undertake to safeguard themselves.
1. With the launch of TruSense, Route Mobile has entered the digital identity and security space. How does TruSense work, and what benefits does it offer to customers? How does it fit into Route Mobile's overall strategy and vision for the future?
A solution that covers only part of the customer journey can only partially be effective. It is crucial that the entire ecosystem is brought together to enable solutions at every possible point in the network. It's a cat-and-mouse game when it comes to fraud and spam. Fraudsters will adapt and change tactics as we develop new solutions to these problems.
However, we will continue to innovate to stay on the front foot, helping our customers to protect their users from fraud. At Route Mobile, we provide digital security services to both ends of the chain. In conjunction with the services of 365Squared, Mobile Operators will be able to detect and block spam calls and messages, and enterprise and app customers will get signals and insights about how the door should be opened on every transaction to help them make informed decisions.
2. SIM Swapping fraud has been on the rise. Can you explain how it works? How can a user know that their SIM card has been swapped without their knowledge? What impact can it have on victims? What steps can 'Individuals' and businesses take to prevent such attacks?
There is a huge problem with SIM swapping in India (and most countries around the world). You simply need to glance at digital news stories to uncover several examples of victims who have suffered losses as a result of SIM Swap assaults. This is a financial and reputational loss for both banks and mobile operators. Banks may have to refund customer loss. If either privacy or security is compromised, both parties might fail to retain customers.
Individuals can take some very basic steps to avoid falling prey to spam calls:
- Avoid receiving unknown calls
- Avoid giving out sensitive or personal information
- If you feel it is not your bank calling you, hang up
- Report & contact the number listed on your bank card in case of suspicious activity
Also Read: Telecom Minister Urges Citizens to Not Pick Calls From Unknown Numbers
3. Can you tell us about your new product, Route Guard and how it helps prevent SMS fraud for MNOs and enterprises? How does it differ from TruSense?
Route Guard is an innovative AI & ML & Blockchain-based solution. It offers:
- Advanced security features
- Advanced algorithms
- Rapid detection
- Blocking recommendations on suspicious messages
- Prevention against spamming and phishing attacks
Route Guard also boasts a blockchain-based unified phishing/spam threat database that constantly records all malicious senders and suspicious call-to-actions such as URLs, phone numbers, self-answering links, etc.
This database is valuable as a global resource that can be shared with other MNOs to combat phishing and spam. TruSense, on the other hand, focuses on digital identity and security services, providing protection across the entire customer journey.
Also Read: TRAI Mandates AI, ML Based System to Tackle Unsolicited Commercial Communication
4. Tell us more about the company's approach to anti-phishing and how Route Guard protects customers from phishing attacks, and the benefits of using Route Guard.
Route Guard functions on the following processes and ensures full-proof protection for our Customers. We ensure the following Layers:
- It identifies suspicious and malicious social engineering/call to actions items which might be prone to phishing
- It prevents the likelihood of phishing activities by detecting, dropping or blocking the SMS being sent to subscribers
- It sends real-time alerts to all the stakeholders, like regulatory authorities, entities, operators & subscribers, for all the detected activities
- It further eliminates and blocks the sender, URL or call to actions permanently or similar activities, which keeps users safe
Our solution detects phishing messages with high accuracy and proves to be a very helpful additional layer to any existing security systems. We offer seamless and quick integration, which leads to minimal disruptions to existing workflows, along with enhanced compliance with relevant data protection regulations and industry standards.
5. What is SMS bypass fraud, and how does it impact enterprise-to-operator SMS traffic? How can businesses protect themselves from this fraud?
Practices such as SMS bypass tend to impact any enterprise or operator's revenue directly. Hence, it becomes a prime concern for stakeholders to ensure that a proper mechanism is in place to mitigate such risks. To minimize the adverse risks associated with these malicious intended practices, it is imperative to enforce a proper Code of Practice in organizations.
We believe that the way AI has helped us in various areas of the threat landscape could have an impactful solution in solving the menace being created due to bypass fraud. Through automation of the Code of Practices, we can turn around the dynamics by tracking real-time data & reports, consequently helping us to optimize operations and prevent various sources of threats.
Also Read: Sanchar Saathi Portal Launched by Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw
6. What role does Route Mobile seek to achieve in the broader digital security landscape?
A holistic approach to managing the automation landscape helps us achieve long-lasting transformations. What's needed is a comprehensive, integrated automation solution that incorporates both physical automation and integrated solutions for business processes.
We have dedicated a complete Research and Development team that works primarily on various security issues that threaten our digital landscape. For this, we have developed a full-proof Anti-phishing solution & several other relevant solutions that provide a holistic protection layer.
7. How does Route Mobile stay ahead of the constantly evolving threat landscape and ensure the security of its customers' communications?
The external threat landscape is ever-evolving, and hence, keeping up with the latest trends is highly critical for every organization. This is the reason we have always ensured to implement a robust external threat landscape management strategy. One key component of an effective strategy is to monitor and assess the threat landscape regularly.
We believe that's what has kept us ahead of our times, by constantly doing research on our customer's needs and their day-to-day concerns that affect their routine life and providing the best possible solutions to their concern areas.
