The headlines scream it every day: data breaches, account takeovers, and ever-more sophisticated cyberattacks. It seems like cybercrime is on an unstoppable upward trajectory.
But we do have reasons to be optimistic about the future! Namely that the cybersecurity spending is on the rise, too. That’s a great sign that businesses have realized the importance of innovative solutions and that we can all look forward to a more secure future.
Of course, throwing money at the problem isn’t enough. It’s crucial to invest wisely in solutions that can successfully address the ever-evolving cybercrime landscape.
So, where should you invest your money? IPification CEO Stefan Kostic may be able to point you in the right direction.
Today, we have the pleasure of picking his brains on the mobile security landscape, the recent game-changing partnership for IPification, and his perspective on enabling a secure future.
Grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and enjoy our short catchup.
Team IPification (TI): Thank you for setting some time aside for this interview, Stefan. Let’s jump right in. What are some of the biggest security challenges facing the mobile world today?
Stefan Kostic (SK): Always a pleasure. One of the biggest challenges is the ever-increasing sophistication of fraudsters, year after year.
They’re constantly developing new and improving existing cybercrime and fraud methods to bypass traditional security measures. Phishing attacks, account takeover attempts, and SIM swapping are just a few examples.
Of course, in the last two years, we’ve also seen the fast development of readily available AI technologies that have only helped cybercriminals to make these attacks more sophisticated, more difficult to identify, and easier to scale.
Another major concern is the lasting reliance on passwords and SMS OTPs. Because they’re cumbersome to use, we see poor cybersecurity hygiene which only produces additional vulnerabilities that fraudsters can exploit.
TI: Absolutely. So, how can mobile app developers and network operators address these challenges?
SK: The key lies in moving beyond passwords and traditional authentication methods.
Here at IPification, we believe the future lies in passwordless, phishing-resistant, frictionless solutions. It’s also how we have developed our own authentication, phone verification, and fraud prevention solutions.
We leverage a user’s phone number, device, and network data for secure and frictionless authentication. The user only needs to click once and the authentication process is completed within milliseconds, without ever sacrificing security or the user experience.
It can be implemented on its own or as part of a multi-factor authentication, which is something we usually recommend. It’s all about finding the right balance between security and the user experience, only IPification comes with that balance right out of the box.
TI: And the recent development for IPification – becoming a channel partner for GSMA Open Gateway – should make it easier for mobile network operators and mobile app developers to take advantage of what IPification solutions have to offer, right?
SK: Exactly! We’re incredibly excited to announce that IPification is officially a channel partner for GSMA Open Gateway. This is a major milestone for us, and it will significantly expand the reach of our solutions.
The GSMA Open Gateway, together with the CAMARA Project, is the world’s largest connectivity platform for mobile network operators (MNOs) and mobile developers. It provides a single point of access to a wide range of services, including anti-fraud solutions, mobile connectivity, cloud solutions, and payment options.
By becoming a channel partner, it becomes super easy for mobile network operators to discover and integrate our industry-leading solutions through the GMID Platform.
TI: Can you explain what the IPification GMID Platform is and how it benefits MNOs?
SK: MNOs can easily deploy the IPification GMID Platform within their network infrastructure.
Through the GMID Platform, MNOs gain access to our full suite of solutions, including authentication, phone number verification, know-your-customer solution, SIM Swap Detection, and more.
The benefits for MNOs are significant. First, it simplifies the integration process, allowing them to quickly and easily offer state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions to their mobile app developer customers.
Second, this ensures MNOs keep their key position in the mobile ID space with the latest solutions, capable of protecting against the biggest threats.
TI: This partnership seems like a game-changer for IPification. How do you see it impacting the future of the company?
SK: We believe this partnership will be a major driver of our growth.
By leveraging the vast network of the GSMA Open Gateway, we will be able to reach a much wider audience of MNOs and mobile developers around the world.
This will significantly increase the adoption of our solutions and help us to establish IPification as the leading provider of mobile authentication and fraud prevention services.
We’re aiming to create an ecosystem of mobile network operators offering bank-grade secure and frictionless solutions.
TI: Looking ahead, what are some of IPification’s future plans and goals?
SK: One of the biggest goals for us in the coming years is to establish a secure and user-friendly, user-centric ecosystem around our technology. Thanks to the GSMA Open Gateway partnership, we’re making big strides in that direction.
We’ll be continuing the expansion of secure authentication for smartphone users and IoT devices globally, building partnerships with the top 100 telecom operators, and serving 10,000 enterprises and developers in at least ten different segments.
Our ultimate goal is to make the mobile world a safer place for everyone. By providing secure and frictionless authentication solutions, we can help to protect users from fraud and ensure a more trusted mobile experience.
TI: Thank you for your time and insights, Stefan. It’s been a pleasure learning more about IPification and its role in shaping the future of mobile security.
SK: Thank you for having me. It’s been a pleasure discussing these topics with you.
