As the communication landscape continues to evolve, there's more for companies to consider than just whether they have access to the latest disruptive tools. As businesses begin to look into things like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and more, they also need to think carefully about what they're doing to keep their communications secure.
Today, the issue of toll fraud is on the rise, as criminals become more sophisticated in the software and solutions that they use. One of the companies leading the way in protecting organisations against this threat is Tollring, a market leader in data visualisation, business intelligence, and communication software. I caught up with the Senior VP of Strategic Alliances for Tollring, Carl Boraman, to see what I could learn about Tollring's approach to Toll fraud.
How aware are End Customers of Toll Fraud?
Knowledge is power - particularly when it comes to security and privacy. However, as Carl points out, for the most part, the amount of education and support that end-customers can find about fraud is limited. Many companies simply have no access to the information that they need, and they don't understand which tools they can use to protect themselves against growing threats.
Carl told me that resellers are still very nervous when it comes to addressing fraud with their customers, as it's not a conversation that some people feel comfortable having. At the same time, resellers get very little information from the carrier that they can share with the end-user too.
"There are still a lot of service providers out there that are just focusing on setting a spending limit to protect against toll fraud. However, this isn't enough for the industry."
"There needs to be closer relationships between the carrier and reseller, and the reseller and the end customer. Only a few people are truly proactive when it comes to tackling this issue"
What is the role of Channel Partners in overcoming toll fraud?
I was interested to find out who in the industry Carl thought should take the lead when it comes to fraud protection.
Security needs to be addressed throughout the buying cycle, from the carrier to the reseller and the end customer. Although Carl noted that the end-customer can only play a limited role today, there are still steps to take. "End-users need to start putting telecoms security at the heart of their processes. This means issuing regular reminders to staff about using stronger passwords, changing PINs and voicemail, and more. However, this starts with a conversation with the reseller.
“Some carriers are already working with resellers to develop more advanced solutions as resellers are best placed to provide valuable feedback on irregular activity within their customer base. Forward-thinking resellers and proactive teams can discuss the issue of fraud more deeply and put the right protection in place."
If the end-user understands how people can hack into their PBX, they can put more effort into making those lines more secure. There are relatively straightforward things that can be done to protect businesses and people from hackers. "It's about staying vigilant with constant awareness - this is something everyone should be looking to address more fully, going forward."
