Fraud Protection and the Role of the Reseller
Fraud Protection and the Role of the Reseller
Communications systems deal directly with sensitive customer data day in, day out. From general but sensitive information about individuals, to payment details, there’s a whole range of security undertakings that any reseller offering hosted UC or SIP solutions must entrust to their service provider – unlike in the networking business, where this can be within their control.
Furthermore, as the range of solutions that fall under the communications as a service banner increase, as for example with omnichannel, over-the-top solutions can’t begin to offer the tailored protection that is truly needed. Resellers need to be aware of this, and we recommend they choose service providers that offer security baked in to their platform. That doesn’t mean that they lose the opportunity to take advantage of end user demand for security – it simply means that with some awareness and purposeful decision-making, they can be sure to select a provider that allows them to make security a core part of the proposition.
As a data analytics and call recording vendor, Tollring ensures that security is engineered in to every product and feature. This even goes as far as dealing with telecoms fraud.
Telecoms Fraud in the UCaaS World
Even on premises telecoms solutions now routinely contain elements of internet-connected services, and while the benefits outweigh the negatives, telecoms security becomes a much greater concern in a connected world.
Telecoms fraud presents a huge threat to network providers, resellers, and their end customers. It is a growing threat; it already represents damages of £25.5bn per year – twice that of credit card fraud.
Fraudsters don’t discriminate. Attacks exploit a vast array of weaknesses, whether the end user is small or large, and no matter the industry they’re in. Automated attacks are as common as manual; large overnight blasts as much as pick-pocketing, slight attacks that might fly under the radar.
The bills that can be accrued in a short space of time are easier to swallow by the larger organisations but can cause real issues for small companies. Even if they aren’t ultimately responsible for paying the bill, it causes disruption and distraction, introducing friction to even the healthiest supplier relationships. Credit limits serve a purpose, but if used alone they’re an inadequate solution for a sophisticated and rapidly moving area like telecoms fraud.
Machine Learning Changes the Game
The industry is embracing smarter solutions, where AI and machine learning can prevent attacks, rather than respond to them, with credit limits being just one of many gates to protect from attack rather than the sole defender. New technologies identify typical trends and patterns for organisations – after all, what’s normal for an international hedge fund management company is very different to a local garden centre – and works around it.
When fraudulent activity is identified, systems need to do more than simply alert a human; bots move faster than that. We now have the means to block attacks before they occur in anger, meaning that there’s no longer the question of who’s responsible for the “up to the credit limit” bill. Service providers benefit too, because while credit-limit based protection reduces the impact on reseller and end user, they still need to bear the cost of carrying fraudulent calls on their network. Fraud protection solutions driven by AI and machine learning are becoming an invaluable part of revenue assurance processes: we estimate that Tollring customers alone are protecting themselves from over £12M of damages every month.
The Role of the Reseller
While responsibility for telecoms fraud protection is often shirked throughout the channel, we believe it is the responsibility of every actor in the supply chain to do their bit to reduce the impact that it has.
AI with intelligent analytics is the only way to stop fraud before it happens. Managing fraud using intelligent technologies and analytics drives a culture of shared responsibility, where collaboration encourages customer confidence and loyalty, tailors the offering in line with business need and ultimately strengthens relationships.
Reputational damage arising from security breaches far outweighs potential financial losses to both customers and their providers, so as organisations’ objectives align there is a new shift towards this collective responsibility in order to achieve a whole new level of security.
Security, Trust and Differentiation
Resellers are increasingly using fraud protection as a differentiator, turning fraud management into a competitive advantage. Having chosen a UCaaS or SIP solution of good pedigree in fraud protection and security – particularly one which allows them visibility and to use their unique understanding of their customers to customise fraud rules and credit management around their needs – resellers can make security and trust part of their brand.
Tollring enables resellers to take control of their offering, working with their customers to configure thresholds on rules, set limits and monitor alerts, for example. A focus on security is a great way to build trust in a relationship. Demonstrating how they’re protected, rather than just saying it, provides a great confidence boost for the end customer and is a short cut to forming a relationship where that perception of trust is applied to other areas.