The Ótima Digital Group, one of the four largest telecommunication companies approved by Anatel and a broker of telephone operators in Brazil, has excelled in protecting against fraud in text messages. With the daily sending of more than 25 million communications (SMS and RCS), the company has invested in a robust solution capable of filtering out 98% of malicious messages, ensuring the security of users.
The security strategy of the 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 occurrences of this type of crime were recorded per hour last year.
Fábio Manastarla Ferreira, a security expert at the Ótima Digital Group, highlights the adoption of the “security by design” principle. “Here at Ótima Digital, no new server is enabled without 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 services of the Group. This extra layer of security ensures that even if a criminal obtains a client’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 seemingly small key, you already prevent 98% of frauds,” emphasizes Ferreira.
All communications between Grupo Ótima Digital and its major partners, such as carriers, Google, and Meta, are encrypted. “Encryption is applied to both SMS channels and other forms of digital communication, keeping user data secure and private, protecting them from malicious interceptions,” Ferreira states.
Ferreira also emphasizes the importance of advanced edge 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 advancements, Ferreira highlights the importance of consumer education. He suggests that users always verify the authenticity of the sites and messages they receive, especially when they contain external links. “It is essential to pay attention to the links that are received!” he concludes.
