SMS-iT

I had no idea that I was going to write this at all. Honestly, given all of the insanity going on in the macro landscape & inside the crypto industry, it would be downright insane trying to build a portfolio now… right? Well, after the sh*tshow with the FTX sandal, SVB collapsing on itself, FUD around , & crypto Twitter singing songs of a 2008 moment for the industry Crypto… people are starting to hate it. stablecoins Whenever people are terrified, angry, lost & confused; there is an opportunity to be had. In the words of uncle Warren Buffet “Be fearful when others are greedy & be greedy when others are fearful”. IT’S PRIME TIME BABY. Basics: - These are in no particular order. - These are the coins/tokens that I personally like & will be stacking, there are definitely more opportunities out there, I just know that staying focused will yield greater results than being scatterbrained & missing everything. - Given how risky crypto is in general, I will DCA over the next 12–18 months. - This is not financial advice. - DYOR Bitcoin - (BTC) “The Godfather.” → Anticipated allocation: ~ 30% Being the “oldest” of all digital assets Bitcoin has time and time again proven its economic importance. The holy grail of decentralization & the most robust cryptocurrency of all, this is a staple of any serious long-term portfolio. One of my never-sells. The way I view BTC is one way; away from the tax-hungry hands of governments. While the return potential is lower than many altcoins, it is also the most risk-controlled asset of all. This is a key component in how I’m balancing the allocations of my portfolio; all great wealth is composed of not only wealth generation but also wealth retention. Controlled risk means higher predictability & higher predictability means greater potential for wealth retention. Plus, I’m ultra-bullish on Proof-Of-Work. Solana - (SOL) “The underdog.” → Anticipated allocation: ~ 25% Given how strong the technology & the founders are, coupled with just some subliminal patterns that stand out to me, SOL is the next ETH. I’m not talking about technology, I’m talking about it from a purely ROI perspective. Money aside, Solana has a multitude of interesting elements underpinning it: - their incredible ability to attract developers. - flourishing NFT ecosystem - awesome work on light clients & vision of a mobile network (SMS) - its monolithic blockchain architecture that creates strong ties between the coin & the network - capital & technological efficiency (low fees & high throughput) - strong interest from VC’s (which they get a lot of hate for) Cosmos - (ATOM) “The internet of blockchains.” → Anticipated allocation: ~ 15% Cosmos has done incredible work in positioning itself as a hub to connect blockchains. Its IBC (Inter-Blockchain-Communication) protocol creates a very interesting opportunity to capture the velocity of activity that happens on independent chains. There are actually over , including some of the biggest names in the game: (Cronos, Kava, Osmosis, Injective, & Secret) What really attracts me to the cosmos solution is that it is they utilize “Hubs” to provide connectivity. >46 chains already connected to the Cosmos Hub not like a typical bridge; As more crypto projects arrive they will need interoperability; given the constant failure & hacks of bridges, odds are they will want something more secure & permanent. My bet is on Cosmos. Avalanche — (AVAX) “Better than Ethereum” → Anticipated allocation: ~ 10% The very unique approach to interoperability & innate design of this project caught my attention. There are so many mind-boggling technological innovations happening here that it would be impossible to miss them. Anytime I see a novel Conesus mechanism, I immediately get intrigued because I understand the depth of effort that was put into the engineering. However, after looking into the Snowflake consensus mechanism I was blown away by the brilliance & extremely skeptical at first. If the promises & guarantees that AVAX might deliver to the world come to fruition, Avalanche could be better than any other smart contract platform. First, the team behind it is world-class. They obviously know what they are doing & are always at the forefront of attracting developers. (I think they might be able to take some away from Ethereum). The level of decentralization with AVAX is as good, if not better than, Bitcoin’s . Obviously, they use POS, so they can support ultra-fast finality (<2 seconds). The multi-leveled architecture claims “theoretically infinite” TPS via its subnets (still has to be shown, but I’m a believer.) Ultimately, this is a strict bet on the team & technology. (by node count) ChainLink — (LINK) “The distance between IRL & Web3” → Anticipated allocation: ~ 7.5% Chainlink is one of the most important pieces for the construction of a truly digital economy. Blockchains are like remote island nations, each with its own currency, population & laws. They are not aware of what is going on outside of their own islands. There is plenty of data that is not native to a blockchain, such as its price. Bitcoin does not know if BTC is trading at 10k or 100k, all Bitcoin knows is that 1BTC=1BTC. As an oracle network, Chainlink brings external real-world data to the blockchain. In order to make any DEFI protocol or Dapp work, data must be fetched from somewhere. If somebody is building a decentralized exchange, that exchange needs to source prices & those prices will exist across many different providers. Chainlink’s oracles go to those providers & bring that data on-chain. As of this writing, there are over ; that number will only grow over time. 1,700 projects using chainlink ) Stacks - (STX “Smart Contracts on Bitcoin” → Anticipated allocation: ~ 2.5% This is a project I have only recently started paying attention to after the impressive success of ordinals & the transition of ETH from POW to POS. This isn’t exactly a “pure” layer 2 on Bitcoin, Stacks is its own blockchain network that operates in tandem with the Bitcoin blockchain. However, this feels as though it is something vaguely similar to what Polygon or Optimism is to Ethereum. While I WILL NOT deposit my bitcoin into the STX network, I do think there is a role for them to play in the greater ecosystem. Arweave - (AR) “On-chain storage” → Anticipated allocation: ~ 2.5% This is a play on decentralized data storage. There are a lot of other on-chain data storage solutions in the marketplace (Filecoin, Bit Torrent, Storj, Siacoin, and so on.); however, IMHO Arweave is one of the most promising long-term on-chain data storage projects on the market due to the following four reasons: MarketCap is fair (~250m). In the event that decentralized data storage takes off as a sector, that would give it a lot of runway for potential ROI. (FYI, the Marketcap of AR is 10x lower than the current leader FIL) he mission of the project is to destroy censorship; as a decentralization maxi when I see something like this, I get all hyped up. T They have actually designed their own consensus mechanism called “proof-of-access”; that is able to provide better TPS (~5,000) & better pricing than many of its competitors Has with some HUGE names: Meta (aka Facebook), Instagram, Metaplex & Mirror. partnerships ApeCoin - (APE) “oooh-oooh AHAH, Ape together strong” → Anticipated allocation: ~ 2.5% Kind of a degen play on this one. I am not a holder of any ape NFTs & do not intend on becoming one. Nevertheless, I do believe in the concept of there being a need for a Web3 native token that will fuel the expansion of the creative on-chain economy & culture. Being heavily Web3-focused & having a very strong team of intelligent crypto natives on board, will give APE a chance to compete in the big leagues. The secret sauce here might be that the token’s utility is to support community building. Web3 Moonbeam - (GLMR) → Anticipated allocation: ~ 2.5% This is a pseudo-bet on the success of Polkadot & Ethereum, as well as on Layer 2's. Moonbeam is a lesser talked-about project that has actually delivered some interesting developments for EVM compatibility from the Polkadot network. As a parachain on Polkadot, the project has a lot of incredible developer tooling available. Moonbeam has actually been touted as having the most advanced interoperability capabilities between the two networks. While I must be honest that I personally do not see much of a differentiator in terms of technology on this one, I do see a high potential return based on tokenomics. With 50% of the token already in circulation & a market cap of ~250m, this token might be able to ride the best of all worlds in the event of a bull market. The Graph - (GRT) “An Inverted Chainlink Mapping Big Data ” → Anticipated allocation: ~ 2.5% I’m not a fan of AI tokens, nor am I familiar with how to measure the actual value that can be monetized by big data in the blockchain ecosystem. However, GRT kinda-sorta exists at the intersection of the two fields & is one of the most fascinating projects that has crossed my sights while doing research on the space. Referred to as an indexing protocol, the Graph allows for querying data from blockchains; which feels almost like a reversed Chainlink. Chainlink brings data from the outside in, The Graph indexes data in such a way that it reduces developer costs for getting blockchain data out. Fancy technical talk aside, the biggest reason that GRT made it to my list is that since inception they have gone through one hell of an intense token emission. Now with >83% of the token in circulation, the sell pressure from new tokens coming onto the market will be lower than before. (I hope 🤞🤣🤞) These are all core to the portfolio, they will not be traded. I enter via DCA & I leave once . It is possible as the cycle progresses that things will change, if they do, I will do a part two for this article. (except BTC) I did not mention any of the shitcoin/tokens that might be of interest for margin trading because as I have learned the hard way, investing makes money & margin trading kills it. Stay patient friends. Thank you for reading! May your bags always be full & overflowing 💰 See you all on the other side 🥂 Also published here.

Crypto Investment Strategy: My 10-Token Portfolio for the Upcoming Cycle

Conversational artificial intelligence uses machine learning to speak to users in a natural and personalized way. The term carries some weight, but ultimately it comes down to the practical difference it can make for your business. In this article, we will take the time to explain what conversational AI is: principles and examples to have a better idea of ​​how you can implement it in your business. What is conversational AI? It is a system in which three distinct technologies converge: artificial intelligence, messaging applications, and voice recognition. These different technologies have been known for decades, but the union of the three languages ​​has completely changed that. Software that combines these functions to conduct a human conversation might be called a "bot." And bots that use text interfaces are commonly referred to as a chatbot. If you've ever interacted with Google Home or Amazon Alexa, you've experienced conversational AI before. This technology learns from us as we learn from it. Deep learning allows these systems to mature their conversational experiences so that with practice, their conversations are more useful and more prosperous. Principles of conversational AI Before you start your business with conversational AI, you need to decide which principles apply and how they can help you achieve your goals. Objectives and context First, understand your goals behind using this type of technology. Then, don't force your business to adopt this technology just because it's new. Build it into a customer service strategy that delivers value; keep in mind that conversational artificial intelligence is perfect for simple, straightforward tasks. If you want to find a use case, think about three areas of context that influence the decision to use AI. User demographics and interests.History and previous interactions.The type of activity, mood, and intention of the user. A bot could excel by allowing a repeat customer to re-order their favorite products through Facebook Messenger. However, if the bot's responsibility were to submit an anonymous report of an ethics violation via SMS, it would surely do so very badly. By this, we mean that you need to plan where and what solutions the bot can deliver. Security and confidentiality This is the second principle to define when it comes to bots. Almost half of the users who interact with bots are concerned about the security of their data. It is why you must provide your users with a set of rules and guidelines for data and conversations in the app. How businesses can use conversational AI? Some use cases may benefit from conversational artificial intelligence better than others in a business. Here are some proven high-performance use cases: : generation bots can convert ten times more than tedious static forms. Users prefer to interact with a bot rather than having to fill in the blanks of a form. Lead Generation Lead Human customer service agents can't be everywhere, all the time. Instead, bots can run circles that aren't easily scalable and be everywhere 24/7. Customer Engagement: : According to Gartner, by 2021, 25% of businesses worldwide will have a virtual assistant to handle support issues. Customer Support : Bots can receive valuable customer feedback after an exciting conversation ends. So instead of filling out an uncomfortable survey form, the customer has the option of leaving their opinion about the brand, its products or services, in a conversation. Receive Customer Feedback The use of conversational artificial intelligence allows you to manage large-scale conversations personalized and in real-time. Examples of conversational AI Customer experience and brand building Implementing a well-designed bot on a popular platform allows you to build relationships with prospects and customers in a personalized, positive way that wouldn't be profitable without automation. Alternatively, you collect a constantly refreshed and expanding data set that can help you understand your customers in much more detail. Traditional techniques do not provide this level of detail. Customer service chatbots, for example, typically with humans willing to tap into conversations as needed to ensure quality, can provide customer service and problem-solve with reduced response times and increased satisfaction. No matter how fully prepared your agents are, no one wants to wait too long for a response, which is why these AIs are flattering. An example of this use that we have with the qualification of potential customers. Many companies lose potential customers due to confusion with their products, and they waste a lot of their staff time cultivating low-quality contacts. Setting up a chatbot to inform and help qualify potential customers is, therefore, an excellent idea. As a result, conversion rates can even triple. Likewise, renowned brand Tommy Hilfiger was an early adopter of customer relationships through conversational AI, with consumers returning an average of three times to its Facebook Messenger chatbot. They made the wise decision to make their New York Fashion Week collection available through the chatbot and thus made 3.5 times more revenue than through other digital channels. Autodesk needed more efficient customer service. So they introduced a chatbot to handle basic requests that don't require a human agent. As a result, resolution times have dropped from a day and a half to just over five minutes, and the cost of resolving these issues has been reduced by 90%. After getting a taste of what conversational AI could do for their business, they couldn't let go. Employee experience Rarely when it comes to conversational AI is it mentioned that it also has effective and efficient uses for employees. We are, of course, talking about the role they can play in the human resources department. It turns out that recruiting bots can give candidates a personalized presentation of the company and make it ideal to schedule interviews. For current employees, there are also benefits. Chat interfaces can automate many internal communication processes and provide an efficient and user-friendly way for employees to access information that, if they were doing it the old-fashioned way, should look up manuals, consult with colleagues, and more. Finally, conversational AI-based employee training and survey processes are increasingly used and promising. Conversational interfaces built with artificial intelligence are becoming very common, from travel agencies to banks. And it is that conversational artificial intelligence helps companies of all kinds achieve their business goals. Therefore, the benefits are not just for the customer but your business. Operating costs are reduced, and operations are increasingly scalable, giving you more opportunities for growth as a business.

What Is Conversational AI: Principles and Examples

Mobile banking are now a common issue. We know that smartphones have their own operating systems like computers do. So, like a computer, it can also be attacked by malware. One type of malware is . However, it is now a dangerous malware to be aware of. With this malware, hackers can steal money from smartphones. So, to keep your smartphone safe from this malware, you need the right guideline. Trojans mobile banking Trojans What are mobile banking Trojans? A mobile banking Trojan is a kind of malware created for smartphones. Nowadays, Marcher, BankBot Anubis, Red Alert 2.0, OpFake, Asacub, Faketoken Trojans, etc. are the most dangerous Trojans for mobile. You need not go to the bank to do banking transactions. Online banking makes it possible via online service that can be carried out on your smartphone or computer. However, many fake apps for smartphones are available, and many of them work like Trojans. Generally, this malware is for stealing money by accessing the account of the victims. How do mobile banking Trojans work and steal money? It seems an unbelievable thing for you that mobile Trojans can steal money. But it is true. Most of the users download such kind of malware themselves. present Trojans as a form of apps and then try to convince people to install them. Besides, the third-party malware applications on different app stores also contain this malware. Moreover, they used to sending phishing text containing URLs. Even Google Play Store is not safe. MCybercrooks Like the banking app, Trojans also display the overlaying interface of the banking app. If you put the credentials, this malware steals your information. Mainly, Trojans impersonate banking apps, payment services, and chatbot apps. They hijack SMS send from the bank with a one-time password. For this reason, mobile banking Trojans need the permission of the users to access SMS. How to prevent mobile baking Trojans Yes, there are some ways to prevent mobile baking Trojans. Follow these tips below to keep your mobile banking safe from Trojans. To monitor your bank account, of the mobile bank. Though all Trojans do not hack SMS, it is one of the effective ways. enable the SMS notification service . Always try the apps of official stores such as or or websites like . Carefully download and install third-party apps Google Play Store App Store SafeForPC Before installing any app, carefully monitor the requests for . Try a reliable antivirus solution on your smartphone or tablet. permissions of the app Mobile banking Trojans make mobile banking unsafe. Hackers always discover new and newer ways with a view to stealing money. But some awareness and carefulness always work against all types of crime in the world. Cybercrime is not out of them. We need to be aware of malware, cybercriminals, Trojans to keep our digital life safe and secure.

3 Tips To Prevent Mobile Banking Trojans

WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and We Chat apps do not require any introduction. These messaging apps have become more popular than social media, and many entrepreneurs want to capitalize on their popularity. However, it is quite a task to make any new instant messaging app like WhatsApp successful because of intense competition. Let’s go through five formulas to make your messaging app capable of standing firm against the giants. Let’s start with some quick facts regarding the popularity of WhatsApp. As per Statista estimate, the total number of WhatsApp users in the US will exceed 25 million by the year 2021. Five Factors to Consider for Making a Messaging App Like WhatsApp 1. How to gain popularity - the WhatsApp way Do you know that WhatsApp has gained fame among the masses without spending a penny on its marketing? Here are some reasons for its tremendous popularity- It’s the first of its kind app Today we are saying, ‘messaging app like WhatsApp’, but when WhatsApp arrived, we had Skype and other desktop-oriented messengers. WhatsApp is the first app that has chosen the mobile-first approach. It is a quicker and more affordable option to SMS facility WhatsApp is a robust, reliable, quick, and affordable alternative to SMS. It is completely free to use this app for sending and receiving messages. Word-of-mouth publicity WhatsApp has gained fame from word-of-mouth publicity. Most of its early users have recommended this app to their friends and relatives. The biggest reason why WhatsApp has become Multi-platform app WhatsApp was launched as an iPhone app, but it has quickly covered all other platforms including Android and Blackberry. This adaptability helped WhatsApp to gain popularity in countries like India, Malaysia, and South Africa where iPhones are yet to gain ground. User-friendly interface The user-friendly interface and regular updates have also made WhatsApp highly popular among all classes of people. WhatsApp was a simple texting app initially, but now it has enabled users to make audio and video calls, image sharing, group chatting, and the like. 2. Basic app development stages As an entrepreneur, you can come up with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in this turbulent time. Later on, you can come up with a messaging app like WhatsApp on the basis of feedback received by early users. This strategy can help you reduce the development cost and TTM (Time to Market). In the second stage, you need to decide the platform for your app. If you choose a native platform, you need to ensure which platform you want to start with like iOS or Android. Native apps ensure the best performance and offer rich features. Another option is cross-platform apps. Cross-platform app development platforms like React Native and Flutter can make apps with native-like look and feel. Also, such apps are cost-effective for startups. The next stage is the UI and UX design. You need to consider this aspect because users tend to focus more on design when it comes to messaging apps. 3. Must-have features for modern messaging apps Here is a list of basic features for a messaging app: End-to-End Encryption For any messaging app like WhatsApp, this is the most important feature. The reason is- people focus more on privacy protection than ever. Messengers like Snapchat, Wire, and Telegram have put data security and privacy above anything else, and they have got a huge surge in the number of downloads as a result. WhatsApp provides an end-to-end encryption system. It is impossible for any third party (including WhatsApp itself) to read any user’s messages. Registration The next feature is registration. Users need to sign up for WhatsApp using their phone numbers. A verification code is sent through SMS and the users can start using the app right away. However, it is not possible to use the same WhatsApp account on multiple devices due to phone number-based registration. Geolocation Geolocation services have started to change our lives. Just like navigation apps, the messaging app also needs this feature. It enables users to share their locations, and therefore, they demand this feature in every new app. Push Notifications has revealed that push notifications can give 3 to 10 times more retention and boost user engagement. Push notifications act as a direct communications link between the app owners and users. The recent study Cloud synchronization It keeps files up-to-date irrespective of places they stored. Once the user makes a change to a file, it applies to all other instances of the same file. For example, the user can see the same version on tablets and smartphones. In the messaging app like WhatsApp, users can securely save and access the chat history and other data anytime, anywhere thanks to the cloud. Self-destroying messages The messaging app can set a timer for self-destruction of messages. It deletes the message after a single viewing or after a specific time. This feature increases the user’s confidence by giving them a feeling of privacy. 4. Give people reasons to download Let’s face it. Google Play has over 2.5 million apps, whereas Apple’s App Store has over 1.8 million apps. There is no exaggeration in mentioning that you will find several options for your app in the app store. Therefore, for every new player, it is necessary to give people some strong reasons to download your messaging app. You can start by developing an app for the local market where there is less competition. Even WhatsApp was not known in the USA though it was very popular in Europe and some other Asian countries. Additional Features You Need to Add for Gaining Popularity Video Streaming Feature Build chatbot-friendly platform Give more stickers and emojis 5. Monetization strategies You need to plan monetization strategies carefully for your messenger app. Most messengers are free-to-use, and therefore, if your user base is not huge, you should not go for the subscription model. Remember, subscription fees may stop people from using your messenger app. Another source of money for your app is advertising. Though many users just do not like ads while using the app, Facebook has already started putting ads in its Messenger app. You can also provide paid stickers and branded stickers after taking a nominal fee. Customization options and premium versions can be other sources of revenue for your app. In-app purchases and online payment facility are also some of the noteworthy app features that can make your messenger app like WhatsApp cash cow. Cost to Develop a Messaging App like WhatsApp Instant messaging apps can give you a steady ROI over the period. Here, it is fair to mention that the depends on various aspects, and the mobile app development company can give a proper estimate as per the requirements. cost of an instant messaging app like WhatsApp Here we go through the approximate time to integrate various features because the development duration can be a major factor to determine the cost of a chat app like WhatsApp. You will find out that the development duration for Android apps is more than that for iOS apps. Registration and Address Book Integration - 12 hours for iOS app development, 16 hours for Android app development, and 8 hours for backend development Message Exchange Integration- 25 hours for iOS, 32 hours for Android, and 47 hours for backend Notification Integration- 12 hours for iOS, 16 hours for Android, and 16 hours for backend Multimedia File Transmission Integration- 25 hours for iOS, 32 hours for Android, 40 hours for backend Location Integration- 12 hours for iOS, 16 hours for Android, and 8 hours for backend Voice calling- 80 hours for iOS, 100 hours for Android, and 80 hours for backend Total Duration for iOS Apps- Around 350 hours and for Android Apps- about 400 hours The cost of a WhatsApp like app may vary as per the platform and number of features. Another factor to consider is the hourly rate that has a great variation in different countries. For example, the US-based app developers take around $150 to $200 for an hour, whereas Indian app developers charge anywhere between $30 to $80. Altogether, the approximate cost of the messenger app with all necessary features can remain about $40K. Concluding Lines Real-time chat or messaging apps are the future of communications. Though we have several popular apps available, there is still some room left for high-quality messaging apps like WhatsApp. A reliable and reputed mobile app development company can assist you to come up with such a message app.

How to Develop a Messaging App like WhatsApp: Your Handy Guide

or Two Factor Verification is a service used to confirm a user’s identity by combining two different elements. For example, Routee service combines a unique code with a verified phone number. This service can be used as part of an app or a website sign up process to increase security for the services offered. Two Factor Authentication Two Factor Authentication became extremely important after the latest which came in place according to EU guidelines. PSD2 regulations This service can be utilised via different channels. The options available on the platform of Routee are: Two Factor Authentication with SMS Two Factor Authentication with Voice Two Factor Authentication with Viber Two Factor Authentication with Missed Call The platform also allows for , meaning that if two factor authentication with one of the channels does not go through, the system falls back to another one, i.e. if an app uses Two Factor Authentication with SMS, it can opt in for Two Factor Authentication with Voice if the first fails. This may happen for a visually impaired user. Thus, ensuring that the authentication messages always reach their intended recipients. fallback options The below diagram showcases how Routee’s Two Factor Authentication API works. The status of the service is reported under five different categories, pending, verified, cancelled, expired and failed. The table below presents more details for each one of these. The transition between the statuses is illustrated in the below diagram. In addition to the above features, Routee’s Two Factor Authentication allows its users to tailor the service based on their needs by deciding: The life duration of each authentication code generated The code complexity Number of retries allowed for each login and senderID A set of translations for your applied messages If you are active on the web, have an e-commerce site, or belong to Finance, Healthcare or Government industries, learn more on . Routee’s blog

How Routee's Two Factor Authentication Works

Less than 10 percent of Google accounts have two-factor authentication enabled, and only about 12 percent of Americans use password managers. It has been almost seven years since Google introduced two-factor authentication (2FA) for their services. However, the number of people using it remains negligible. Taking the floor at USENIX Enigma 2018 conference held in January, a security engineer at Google Grzegorz Milka regarding most users’ security practices. According to the report, less than 10 percent of active Google accounts use two-factor authentication. Furthermore, as per findings of the Pew Research Center, password managers are only used by approximately 12 percent of Americans. revealed some disconcerting statistics There is an obvious privacy aspect here — users are required to provide their phone number when activating 2FA. This doesn’t suit people who are unwilling to share their sensitive details with the worldwide data aggregate, which is understandable. Even putting this nuance out of the equation, though, most people choose not to use 2FA for other reasons. What are those reasons? Google was one of the first large Internet services that implemented 2FA. Besides, the company has been actively promoting this additional security technique via Google Authenticator App that allows linking an account to a specific device. Two-factor authentication also works via SMS. Caveats of SMS as an authentication factor First and foremost, 2FA via SMS has been officially labeled insecure due to critical vulnerabilities in Signaling System 7 (SS7), a telecommunications standard used by cellular networks to interact with one another. Researchers from Positive Technologies, a company specializing in vulnerability assessment and threat analysis, released a back in 2014 where they demonstrated the SMS interception workflow in detail. In a nutshell, the attack revolves around registering a subscriber with a fake MSC/VLR. The initial data includes the subscriber’s IMSI and the address of the current MSC/VLR, which can be obtained by means of a specific USSD request within the SS7 network. After the victim has been registered with the rogue MSC/VLR, they stop receiving incoming calls and SMS. All text messages will be forwarded to an attacker. report Intercepting other people’s text messages isn’t pure theory or science fiction. Attacks of that sort have been pulled off multiple times by hackers and law enforcement agencies of different countries. One way or another, 2FA via SMS appears to be an insecure method of authentication. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a of its Digital Identity Guidelines in 2016. It proposed “deprecating” SMS as a second authentication factor due to this technique’s obvious security imperfections. special publication In other words, in some cases, two-factor authentication isn’t secure and instead evokes a sense of delusive security. Users think their account cannot be compromised without the attackers getting hold of their mobile device, so they may set weaker passwords for their online accounts. This means 2FA can even downgrade users’ security in the long run. Google never implemented other ways of 2FA, such as the widespread technique where a secret code is sent to a customer’s alternate email address. Perhaps the company deemed this method as insecure as 2FA via SMS. Regardless of the 2FA mechanism being used, it implies some additional action on the user’s end, that is, people experience certain inconveniences. It looks like a lot of users are okay with sacrificing their security for convenience. Burdensome? Grzegorz Milka, the above-mentioned Google employee, confirmed the speculation regarding inconvenience of such additional security. Reporters from The Register why Google didn’t make two-factor authentication obligatory for all accounts. He replied as follows, “The answer is usability. It’s about how many people would we drive out if we force them to use additional security.” asked him Google engineers are apparently doing their best to simplify the process. For instance, the company launched Google Prompt service in July 2017. It does not use confirmation codes but instead requires the user to tap a prompt received on their phone as their second sign-in step. However, based on statistics, people find this ostensibly easy 2FA method too complicated as well. Any extra button pressed, prompt tapped, or screen viewed appears to be a burden that deteriorates user experience. Even the simplest action online can be a hurdle to some people. According to Google, more than 10 percent of users who tried 2FA failed to accurately enter the secret code received via SMS. It turns out, most users are simply unprepared for the “convenience vs. security”’ tradeoff. Some people think they have nothing to conceal. Some believe their accounts bear no value to perpetrators and therefore they will never fall victim to compromise. In order to protect these people, Google is trying to improve heuristics and and breach incidents by identifying specific user activity patterns. The problem is, it takes an attacker only a few minutes to carry out the compromise, so it is imperative to react fast enough. detect malware Different account breach scenarios tend to have common characteristics. Having signed in, the threat actor disables notifications, looks for valuable information (Bitcoin wallets, password files, sensitive photos, etc.), exports the contacts list, and configures a filter to obfuscate their shenanigans from the owner. Google has been making efforts to prevent such activity, generating different types of notifications and encouraging users to enable two-factor authentication. Unfortunately, most people have yet to mature in terms of the right security mindset.

Why do most people ignore two-factor authentication?

In 2017 we’re used to mobile app UI that sparkles and UX that seems like it just . But let’s take a step back and remember mobile’s humble beginnings. gets us Do you remember the days of bulky Nokias and a Snake score your friends were envious of? There are several things that the trendy smartphones of today still have in common with their predecessors. One of them is . SMS Everyone toots the WhatsApp horn because as of 2015, it accounted for per day, totally eclipsing the 20 billion messages sent via SMS. But perfectly, “Of all the messaging interfaces, SMS is the most direct. No custom UI, no learning curve.” 30 billion messages Intercom recently summed it up I’ll go out on a limb here and say that SMS, at its core, gets messaging right. It doesn’t complicate the process with extraneous features. It’s easy to use — my septuagenarian parents even get it. Messaging was previously reserved for personal use, but with Messenger connecting you to support teams at businesses, it’s easy to see that the personal and the professional are merging. With a smartphone, or other SMS capable device, within arm’s reach at all times, it’s time for businesses to get serious about SMS. After all, not everyone wants to add yet another app to their phone. And even if they download it, chances are they won’t use it, since who use apps only use six to ten each week. Why not use a feature already deeply ingrained in all phones to serve the same purpose? Effective is simple, it doesn’t leave first time users scratching their heads. It’s not about cramming as much as you can into a product, but instead presenting the public with the most essential version. Just because you can add a feature, it doesn’t mean that you should. 49% of smartphone owners technology Source: eMarketer What This Means for Technology Companies In many ways, technology companies are doing a 180. Minimalism is making a comeback. When it comes to messaging to communicate with customers, SMS does the trick. in China took notice of this and incorporated work communication, bill pay, and more integrations into their popular app, effectively meeting mobile users where they already are. WeChat It might not be as catchy, but maybe we should transition from “there’s an app for that” to “there’s a solution for that.” Is it such a wild idea to solve a pain point in the market with lower barriers to entry? With a number of banks, personal finance products, concierge services, and more already running with this idea, it might not be so crazy after all. Let’s be clear, not every company is the right candidate for using SMS. What the right ones have in common is a sense of urgency. If a product is centered around something that customers need to know about right away, then SMS will work. Breaking SMS Down I see two different uses for SMS in technology. First, there are alerts. Let’s take a credit card company for example. Fraud alerts are helpful and when you receive them via SMS, it’s a lot faster to respond back with a “yes” or “no” about whether a transaction was you or not. If that communication came as an in-app notification, you might have them turned off and not be aware until someone maxes out your card buying TVs at Best Buy. That’s to say, timing matters and for time sensitive communications, SMS is the way to go. The second form of SMS that is useful for businesses is conversational messaging. There are many cases in which you want to be able to ask questions and have a response other than “we have received your email and will get back to you in 24–48 hours.” are all the rage recently and with the help of automation, they can provide helpful information quickly. They are very effective for a number of industries, but there are certainly cases in which a person needs to be on the other end. Such as times when a customer needs an opinion or some other personalized service. Chatbots Whether there is a person or a machine at the other end, SMS is an easy way to communicate with the vast majority of the population. Businesses that adopt this early will be poised to reach their customers on a channel that has proven to be more that just a fad. Angelica Valentine is the Marketing Manager at Staffjoy , a schedule communication software. You can follow her on Twitter .

The Case for Simple Technology: Why SMS Still Matters

Building offline community , 2016 VenturePact Here’s a harsh reality of our current culture: I never have to leave my studio apartment in S.F. to live well. Current tech enables me to get: Groceries/Household Items (Google Express, Prime Now, Instacart) Food from any restaurant (Caviar, Eat 24, Grub Hub, Postmates) Exercise (Insanity, Instagram fitness celebs, YouTube) Entertainment (Netflix, Hulu, Prime, HBO Now … livestream SpaceX launches when hanging out with my boyfriend) Education/Current Events (GeneralAssemb.ly, Google News, Codeacademy) Laundry (Wash.io, Rinse) Cleaning (Handy) Communication (literally anything; FB, TW, Insta, Quora, Reddit, FaceTime, Skype, SMS) It’s as if we are in “ ” (if you haven’t seen it, just take it literally), except we have everything we could possibly want and the ability to leave anytime we want. This is where it gets scary. Room If we can get everything from the internet of service-based businesses, we don’t need to interact with the outside world. The digital conveniences we all take for granted living in San Francisco enable introverted people the opportunity to live in a complete silo. But why do I mention this? It’s to illustrate the importance of community. Rewind 5 to 10 years ago, everyone used to interact with each other on the street. They said “Good morning.” Now, every single person has headphones or are on their cellphone, not even lifting their head. I stop girls all the time to tell them how much I like their clothing or accessory item, and each time without fail, they give me a strange look of disgust, like “why are you talking to me?” After the first 15 seconds, they usually calm down and say thank you. The only time you actually meet new people and develop relationships is when you have a . It could be a birthday party, happy hour or even a conference. The way to foster community in our city is to continue having these events. Events enable people to meet together for diversity or commonality, to experience new things. As a freelance event planner in The City, I can’t even express how difficult it can be to get events off the ground. shared experience Like I said before, S.F. people already have everything they need to the point that they don’t ever have to leave the house. Conversely, people love events because it provides them new and exciting opportunities … and an excuse to leave the house. They inherently need offline community, because they are too digitally connected. Even the worst tech bros have one redeeming factor; they show up. We need to keep (or start) talking to each other. Despite the bad eggs that only show up to promote their personal brand or startup, the goal of good event is to keep a community alive. Look at the de Young Museum. They have a that are very serious about continually learning about the use of fabric throughout history. The only thing that enables this council to exist is their events. Because of them, I am now familiar with ballet russe costumes from the early 1700s to the 1970s. textiles group By all means, I am telling a cautionary tale. The sociability of community promotes accepting people around you and not freaking out when someone says “good morning.” Events teach people. Events also promote diversity. Put your phone down, look around and find something offline to participate in. This is our city. Don’t let it slip away into the banality of social media and the on-demand economy. Let’s do more things together. Originally published in the SF Examiner , 6/27/16

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