AB Handshake, the brand new A-number spoofing “vaccine” of choice for voice telecom operators!

Spotlight on Innovations and Disruptions | TelecomDrive.com

Robocalling using spoofed A-numbers is not only annoying Americans but irritating consumers all over the world. Many other types of abuse cases are also prevalent in Europe, encouraged partly by carriers charging a fee on top of the termination rates for calls originating from outside of Europe. As one can imagine this practice is just ripe for fraud, as faking European A numbers has become a real challenge to contend with.

For years, operators are working hard to find solutions to identify this particular fraud scenario amongst many others, but no comprehensive solution is available that works across network technologies or does not involve complex look up or verification mechanisms that are expensive.

We at Cataleya have also worked for many years on providing efficient analytics solutions to our Session Border Controller customers that help identify various fraud types that can be identified by monitoring media and signaling flows. However, this only covers a limited set of call anomalies and A-number spoofing cannot be captured.

The arrival of the AB Handshake framework suddenly changes that landscape and paired with our own capabilities now provides an unparalleled “vaccine” for this “illness”.

How does it work?

AB Handshake service enables calls validation and provides technological solution to support global cooperation at the market.

It connects originating and terminating operators via an encrypted HTTPS channel and makes it possible to exchange call details in real-time and compare the results to check if the call took place, was terminated to the end user and was received from the original number of the caller.

AB Handshake ensures that any voice call is validated by both the originating and terminating operator, making it impossible to commit fraud that relies upon the manipulation of traffic by intermediaries. Processed in parallel to the call set-up, the "handshake" gives both the A and B parties confirmation that the call is connected as intended, otherwise it offers the choice to stop invalid calls automatically. Using straightforward technology to integrate the handshake with existing signaling and accounting systems, the handshake works for all kinds of telcos across all kinds of networks (SIP and TDM), offering a truly universal and cost-effective solution to eliminate fraud.

In addition some key areas are addressed by the AB Handshake framework that are usually a big concern for operators and regulators such as:

Data Privacy: Currently international calls go from originating operator to terminating operator through a cloud of international carriers, and A and B numbers are transmitted in open text.

The system exchanges A and B numbers only between originating and terminating operators through the encrypted out-of-band channel. No intermediary will be involved or the data exposed to them.

Roaming: The system fully supports validation of roaming calls. When a roaming call is done, terminating network receives roaming call details and is reaching out to A-number’s original network to check if it’s in roaming status. A-number’s original network confirms it, thus completing data necessary for call validation.

Interconnect Bypass: During Interconnect Bypass, Originating Operator and Terminating Operator are matching call details. During this check it’s evident that the Terminating Operator didn’t receive a call with an international A-number, yet received a call with a local A-number, that can’t be confirmed either,with other call details being identical. We see these two mismatches and deduce it is anInterconnect Bypass/Sim Box.

Integration to existing switching platforms:AB Handshake provides different integration options. The system allows different types of network switching equipment such as switches, SBCs, SCPs and CAMEL gateways to communicate with Call registry via standard protocols: RADIUS, Diameter, HTTP API, SIGTRAN. SIP operators can integrate by placing the system’s SIP proxy as b2bUA.

Pricing: AB Handshake only charges for verified calls which means that there are no fees if calls cannot be verified. We also offer an early adopter pricing plan that has no setup fees nor a monthly minimum charge.

In many cultures across the world a handshake is a gesture and sign of trust. The same principle applies to the antifraud framework of AB Handshake where originator and terminator shake “hands” and certify to each other that the call is an original call and can be trusted.

“It’s great to know that with this partnership all customers of Cataleya will have swift and easy access to our validation service. We strongly believe that the fight against fraud should be a collective effort and we welcome such an expansion of our community,” says Nadejda Papernaia, CEO, AB Handshake Corporation.

We are very pleased about this cooperation and proud to represent a solution that matches our philosophy, business practices and keen ambition to protect our customers business.

For further information please contact us via info@cataleya.com or our website.

The article is published in the December issue of Disruptive Telecoms.