Securing the future of messaging

SMS heydays are long over, but it remains a weak link in India's digital ecosystem. Rich communication services offer a much-needed solution

- TV RAMACHANDRAN

Trusted source - is one of the most prevalent threats to it. Fraudsters can easily forge sender identities, mimicking legitimate enterprises or institutions. This has led to fraudulent SMS alerts which have been used to trick consumers into sharing sensitive banking credentials under the pretext of KYC (know your customer) verification. Investors have been targeted with spoofed SMS, leading to phishing attacks and financial losses. The simplicity of SMS headers makes it easy for malicious actors to bypass detection and exploit user trust.

Secondly, SMS does not offer end-to-end encryption, leaving messages vulnerable to interception. This is particularly concerning for one-time passwords (OTPs) and sensitive data used in financial transactions and e-commerce.

Besides, while Trai has mandated preference registration and spam reporting, SMS design limits their effectiveness. Fraudsters often categorize deceptive messages as transactional to evade detection. Further, SMS vulnerabilities lead to reputational damage, reduced consumer trust, and potential financial losses. Spoofing not only harms consumers but also tarnishes the credibility of enterprises.