Caller ID spoofing remains a significant issue in today’s telecom world. There are even services designed to help verify whether a call is genuine or manipulated. But how can you truly know if the caller is who they claim to be?
The root of the problem lies in the infrastructure itself. The way calls (and text messages) are established allows the caller ID to be altered at various points in the connection. This vulnerability makes it easy for bad actors to impersonate trusted numbers, leading to scams, fraud, and security risks.
To put this into perspective, imagine if the internet lacked SSL certificates - those little locks in your browser that assure you a website is authentic. Without them, phishing attacks would be even more rampant. Just as we trust SSL/TLS to verify website authenticity, we need a similar mechanism to restore trust in caller ID.
Two Approaches to Fixing Caller ID Spoofing:
1. Layering verification tools on top of the existing infrastructure - While this can help, it’s essentially a patchwork fix, adding complexity without fully solving the underlying issue.
2. Moving to a Web3-based telecom infrastructure - This approach integrates identity verification natively, making it an inherent feature rather than an afterthought.
Web3 technology allows for cryptographic identity verification, ensuring that users are who they claim to be. Unlike the outdated SS7 protocol, which struggles with security, Web3 enables cryptographic signing, making spoofing virtually impossible.
This is why we think the transition to a more secure, decentralized telecom future is inevitable. A future where trust in caller ID is no longer a question but a guarantee.
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