Text Security Requires SMS “Hardeningâ€
by Paul Ruppert
As I’ve been wandering through the MWC halls of the Fira at Plaza D’Espanya I’ve been lucky to discover some interesting companies and propositions in the mobile industry. There are also media events with some select companies available for in-depth review. Here’s one which caught my eye at Showstoppers ( www.showstoppers.com ) regarding text messaging security : CellTrust.
CellTrust challenges the notion that SMS is considered “secure.†They’re right. 
CellTrust provides security for SMS. Oh, you thought SMS is actually “secure”? Mate, when it comes to security it is all about degrees. Sure, for us consumers, sending short texts to each other, is secure enough. Who knows you might even be lucky enough to pull a bird by sending tonight’s pub meet to the wrong number. But what about enterprises that send out alerts and notifications to their work force, customers or even critical caretakers of mission critical equipment like your electric grid? Consumer grade security isn’t “reliable” for CIOs and company IT leads or for the even more demanding management of mobile banking or transactions. That’s where CellTrust positions its proposition. It hardens SMS.
CellTrust provides control, accountability, compliance and security to SMS in the enterprise environment. Using pubic key encryption they guarantee recipient end-to-end privacy and two factor authentication without the expense and complexity of a proprietary, bespoke (custom fit for you non-Anglophiles) solution. By providing the SMS gateway to the enterprise, their 
encryption technology layered over the routing rules enables CellTrust to create a secure SMS environment.
I had ever thought of security as critical in a consumer messaging company, which is why CellTrust caught my eye. Through the combination of their platform technology and a micro client with password protection they secure and provide an SMS security solution. Although, they could have modified the MAP layer of the SMS as we did at the former Mobile 365 to provide tracking capabilities through our networks. My two cents of consulting is this is something they should consider as an added layer of functionality in their security “suite.”
A “hardened” SMS comes with guaranteed secure delivery through their “Advanced Encryption Standard, a read and delivery confirmation to the sender, option for password protection prior to decryption and display of a message, even a remote wipe API, for when that handset is lost or stolen Mr. Phelps, you know your mission remains secure and possible.
I would think the natural market for this would be banking applications, as well as government authentication–although i think much of that may have already been explored and gobbled up by RIM’s Blackberry. Who knows, but definitely watch CellTrust.
Do you know whether your SMS is secure?
