What Enterprises Need to Know About Secure SMS Messaging
Short Message Service (SMS) continues to be an important messaging tool for mobile users who need to share information and data--in their personal lives and in the workplace. As enterprises look to incorporate messaging into their employees' communication routines, delivering secure SMS messages remains a top of mind priority.
Taking the steps to implement a secure SMS messaging solution for communications between employees can lead to better collaboration across all facets of your enterprise.
Best Practices for Secure SMS Messaging
Most consumer-grade messaging apps in today's marketplace are vulnerable to serious security risks, creating a range of vulnerabilities for enterprises that rely on consumer apps for messaging in the workplace:
- Message Visibility -- Anemic encryption creates the potential for unauthorized access and third-party viewing of messages and data.
- Spamming -- The prevalence of bulk SMS capabilities can lead to the large volumes of SMS spa clogging the organization's messaging pipeline.
- Flooding Attacks -- Also known as Denial of Service (DoS), this involves the transmission of repeated messages to a user's phone, rendering the device inaccessible.
- SMS Device Crashes -- Some mobile devices are vulnerable to crashing if they receive an "infected" SMS message, interrupting communication pathways.
- SMS Viruses -- As mobile phones become increasingly sophisticated, the potential for viruses to spread through SMS is on the rise.
- Phishing -- Similar to Internet phishing attacks via email, hackers attempt to trick mobile phone users with phony text messages encourage them to access a link, which then downloads malware onto their devices.
Given the scope of SMS-based risks to the organization, there are several features and capabilities that need to be included in a secure SMS platform for the enterprise:
- Secure Message Transmission -- Industry-standard 256-bit encryption protects data sent between users and maintains the privacy of sensitive communications--whether employees are using BYOD or company-owned devices.
- Centralized, Cloud-Based Storage -- Storing messages and data in the Cloud (rather than on-device) keeps corporate information safe and enables you to better manage messaging and file sharing. It also improves your ability to comply with data retention policies through the centralized storage of data and messages.
- Streamlined Account Control -- Whether you need to access stored data or erase an inactive account, a secure SMS messaging solution will give you complete remote management capabilities over accounts and messaging
- Reliable Message Transmission -- In addition to increased security, your SMS messaging platform should function reliably and without glitches. By providing employees with a convenient and reliable enterprise messaging solution, you can mitigate the risk of users re-adopting less secure SMS messaging apps
NetSfere: Secure SMS Messaging Solutions
At NetSfere, we've developed innovative technology that enables organizations to utilize secure SMS messaging. Our solutions enable companies to provide simple, user-friendly platforms that ultimately lead to better collaboration and communication between employees.
To learn more about how you can take the next step in secure SMS messaging, call NetSfere at (224)-764-3535 or start your free trial today.
