Ótima Digital Group, one of the four largest telecommunications companies approved by Anatel and a broker for phone operators in Brazil, has been excelling in fraud protection in text messages. With the daily sending of over 25 million communications (SMS and RCS), the company invested in a robust solution capable of filtering 98% of malicious messages, ensuring user security.
The security strategy of Ótima Digital Group involves a multi-layered approach that combines rigorous authentication and encryption practices. These measures have been essential in drastically reducing the incidence of SMS scams, a criminal practice aimed at deceiving victims and extracting sensitive information. According to the 17th Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, an average of 208 incidents of this type of crime were recorded per hour last year.
Fábio Manastarla Ferreira, security specialist at Grupo Ótima Digital, highlights the adoption of the "security by design" principle. "Here at Ótima Digital, no new server is enabled without the security templates and applications being applied," says Ferreira. This proactive method protects against known threats and adapts to defend against new types of attacks.
Two-factor authentication is a fundamental measure adopted by all Group services. This extra layer of security ensures that, even if a criminal obtains a customer's username and password, they will still need a second factor—usually a code sent via SMS or an authentication token—to access the account. "With this key, which seems small, you already prevent 98% of frauds," highlights Ferreira.
All communications between Grupo Ótima Digital and its major partners, such as carriers, Google, and Meta, are encrypted. "Cryptography is applied both in SMS transmission channels and in other forms of digital communication, keeping users' data secure and private, protecting them from malicious interceptions," says Ferreira.
Ferreira also highlights the importance of advanced border control infrastructure, known as BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), which helps manage routed and delivered data packets, minimizing the chances of attacks and interceptions.
Despite technological advances, Ferreira warns about the importance of consumer education. He suggests that users always verify the authenticity of websites and messages they receive, especially when they contain external links. "Attention must be paid to the links received!" he concludes.
