What is Safeguard?

CM.com has created a suite of software-based features packaged under the name Safeguard. All features help CM.com customers control and monitor traffic flow by putting restrictions and rules in place. Customers can restrict which IP addresses can access the CM.com account and limit the amount of traffic through accounts and towards specific destinations in the CM.com platform. Additionally, CM.com can continuously monitor traffic to build a customer-specific profile and inform customers about any abnormalities that are detected.

IP Address Restrictions

IP address restrictions enhance security by permitting only specified IP addresses or ranges to access messaging platforms and messaging services. It helps mitigate risks by preventing unauthorised access, data breaches and malicious activities even when uninvited guests already have access to the product token.

Destination Management

Destination management enables customers to create a 'block list' or 'allow list' for a messaging account. Customers can fully customise this list via the platform app Channels > Gateway > Safeguard. The gateway can be configured to either allow a 'blocklist' or an 'allow list'.

Rate Limiting

Rate limiting helps the customer manage and control the rate of messages being sent in a specified time frame. Safeguard offers rate limiting on recipient level and account level, checking how many messages go to unique recipients vs accounts. Rate limiting is often put in place to manage and regulate the usage of the platform's resources, prevent misuse, ensure fair access for all users and maintain the platform's performance and reliability.

AI Anomaly Detection

AI Anomaly Detection continuously monitors suspicious behaviour in messaging traffic. Situations which fall outside regular sending patterns are most often seen through the combination of the below characteristics:

• Destination classification (i.e. suspicious/not suspicious country)

• Deviations in traffic to specific destinations

• Anomaly detection on conversion (or DLR)

• Number ranges

• Chosen supplier's reliability

Why is Safeguard needed?

A2P Messaging is bigger than ever in today's digital landscape, which makes it vulnerable to fraud. Falling victim to fraud will potentially lead to financial and reputational damage for CM.com customers and CM.com - something everybody wants to prevent. Safeguard reduces the risks and combats A2P messaging fraud.

One of the most recent threats detected in the messaging market is Artificial Inflated Traffic (AIT), also known as SMS pumping. Fraudsters generate traffic on the account of a customer to benefit from that traffic. CM.com customers are then (unfairly) charged for that traffic. AIT can lead to revenue loss, reputational damage and legal challenges for both CM.com and the customers.

Safeguard Key Benefits

Proactively identifying and addressing fraud such as AIT reduces the risk for damages, safeguarding both business and customer interests by:

1. Preventing unnecessary costs for the customer

2. Preventing reputational damage due to abuse

3. Providing re-assurance and a sense of security

4. Offering flexibility through self-service options for customers