Software Vaccine Eradicates SMS Spoofing

Released on: September 3, 2008, 11:52 pm

Press Release Author: Michael O\'Brien / Openmind Networks

Industry: Telecommunications

Press Release Summary: SMS Spoofing is an emerging security threat in the GSM
community and carries with it serious fraud implications if not immediately
addressed. Openmind Networks has designed, engineering and deployed an industry
leading product called Protect that eliminates the threat of SMS Spoofing.

Press Release Body: Cathal Fitzpatrick, VP Product Management of Openmind Networks
today announced the release of the definitive white paper on SMS Spoofing. Having
monitored the increase in SMS Spoofing attacks among our own customer base and also
on the GSM Association member’s portal, Mr. Fitzpatrick prepared the white paper to
demonstrate how the threat of SMS Spoofing can be eradicated using Protect from
Openmind Networks.

\"Fraudsters have turned their attentions to mobile operator controlled networks and
are using increasingly sophisticated fraudulent techniques to target the network and
its subscribers. The GSM Association has identified a number of fraudulent
techniques but SMS Spoofing is the issue most seriously impacting operator
revenues,” said Cathal Fitzpatrick, VP Product Management at Openmind Networks. “SMS
Spoofing occurs when a fraudster manipulates address information in order to
impersonate a user that has roamed onto a foreign network and is submitting messages
to the home network.”

The net effect of SMS Spoofing is to cause serious economic and brand damage to the
targeted mobile operator network. The main effects are listed below:

o Revenue leakage: The home network will incur termination charges caused by the
delivery of these messages to interconnect partners.

o Interconnect problems: Interconnect partners may threaten to cut-off the home
network with the result that home subscribers will be unable to send messages into
these networks.

o Loss of bill integrity: Genuine subscribers may be billed for roaming messages
they did not send leading to bill shock and churn.

o Resource constraints: Assigning highly skilled and scarce resources to fight the
threat.

“The only 100%-sure way of detecting and blocking spoofed messages is to screen
incoming mobile originated messages to verify that the sender is a valid subscriber
and that the message is coming from a valid and correct location. Our Protect
product does just that and eradicates the SMS Spoofing threat,” added Fitzpatrick.
“The functionality that we offer via Protect is beyond the capabilities of legacy
messaging infrastructure and as mobile operators look for solutions to safeguard and
protect their networks and subscribers, Openmind Networks is perfectly placed to
provide the ideal solution.”

A white paper supporting the press release can be downloaded at
http://www.openmindnetworks.com/SMSSpoofing.asp

Web Site: http://www.openmindnetworks.com/SMSSpoofing.asp

Contact Details: Michael O\'Brien
4 Westland Square
Pearse Street
Dublin 2

Tel: +353872441044
Email: michael.obrien@openmindnetworks.com

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