Carriers team up to provide better mobile authentication

Mobile users are faced with the challenge of managing dozens of difficult-to-remember passwords for many applications. Even with the best user practices, hackers can social engineer passwords from users, leaving consumers and enterprises vulnerable to identity theft, bank fraud, fraudulent purchases and data theft.

To help tackle this issue, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon are joining forces and resources through the creation of the Mobile Authentication Taskforce. The mission of this taskforce is to develop a mobile authentication solution for enterprises and customers in 2018.

With the four largest U.S. mobile network operators onboard, the Mobile Authentication Taskforce possesses significant capabilities and insights to address this issue, such as network-based device authentication, geo-location and SIM card recognition.

"At a time when online and digital services are commonplace, security and authentication are issues that affect us all," said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA. "Through strong collaboration, the taskforce announced today has the potential to create impactful benefits for U.S. customers by helping to decrease fraud and identity theft, and increase trust in online transactions. Further, we will be working closely with the taskforce to ensure this solution is aligned and interoperable with solutions deployed by operators."

Each company will contribute the resources needed to develop an advanced, mobile authentication solution that will help reduce mobile identity risks by analyzing data and activity patterns on a mobile network to predict, with a high degree of certainty, whether the user is who they say they are.

By taking an open approach to the solution, the taskforce aims to work with the app developer community, industry organizations and third parties to make this vision a reality.