With the widespread use of mobile phones and networks, Short Message Service SMS has evolved into a powerful global communication tool due to its many benefits, such as simplicity of use, cost-effectiveness, and wide reach which has led to the need for SMS services to enhance customer relationships, include company updates, and link to confidential individual communications, effectively engaging the audience across various industries including marketing, retail, healthcare, finance, and more.

However, due to these advantages, the past decade has seen a surge in spam messages on mobile networks, with the volume of fraudulent SMS increasing by 45%. This has sometimes resulted in a frustrating user experience.

Typically, the content of unsolicited SMS aims to lure targets to visit (fraudulent) websites for illegal activities, with the primary goal of financial gain. This exposes users to the risk of personal information theft or the spread of malicious software, resulting in financial losses for users, this issue affects many mobile messaging platforms, including non-SMS-based messaging apps.

Protection from Scams SMS

Differences Between fraud by SMS and Email

Although Scams SMS resemble traditional spam emails in content, unsolicited SMS exhibit unique characteristics, they are delivered instantly to recipients by targeting the signalling network after collecting phone numbers through various methods and leveraging automated software services to send large volumes of messages to these numbers, these spam SMS often contain phishing URLs to promote fraudulent schemes and other malicious content, such as purchasing counterfeit goods or obtaining targeted personal information.

Additionally, programmable devices that are often just a week old are commonly used to deliver spam SMS due to the shorter lifespan of random numbers compared to various email spam rates.

There are significant behavioural differences between SMS spammers and email spammers in their use of voice, data, and different links, many SMS spammers target densely populated areas to quickly reach the largest possible base.

Cybersecurity Solutions to Reduce Exposure to Unwanted SMS

End-user device-based SMS spam filtering programs are not feasible because many SMS-capable devices do not support such applications, the issue also involves telecom companies as messages pass through the network, causing communication disruptions and network congestion, thereby degrading network performance.

Despite the challenge of detecting them in the field of cybersecurity and the scientific community's historically lesser focus on combating SMS spam compared to email spam, Taqnyat has diligently tracked rapid technological advancements and employed new AI-based methods. These are developed daily in cybersecurity to implement advanced SMS spam filters, which rely on analyzing SMS content and protecting against various phishing forms in patterns like financial services, gift offers, order confirmation invoices, and customer service impersonation.

Protection from Scams SMS

Taqnyat Solutions to Reduce Exposure to Scams SMS

Taqnyat works all day long to protect its customers from all possible attacks, with protection provided by a team of cybersecurity experts using advanced and high-speed devices, programs, and equipment. The protection process involves the following steps:

• Requiring customers to use strong passwords to protect their accounts.
• Utilizing access verification techniques such as Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).
• Employing encrypted access technologies, such as connecting through encrypted protocols or using secure encrypted connections to access our services
• Using programs and equipment to control network access by monitoring information flow through the network and IP addresses and among other measures.
• Encrypting sensitive data according to best encryption practices.
• Constantly monitoring systems to prevent fraudulent message sending until verified with the customer.
• Monitoring the logs with specialized systems to alert to any security incidents.
• Conducting training sessions for Taqnyat employees and customers, ensuring the optimal and safe use of Taqnyat services.
• Performing regular tests to detect vulnerabilities and addressing them according to a specified schedule.

Therefore, Taqnyat customers enjoy a high level of protection, subscribe to the most effective provider who can keep up with the latest trends and help you provide an SMS firewall solution, monitor SMS traffic, and protect your network from fraudulent SMS messages.