SMS Authentication Codes May Be a Thing of the Past

SMS Authentication Codes May Be a Thing of the Past

Five billion people send and receive text messages worldwide. Texting has become second nature for most people, with reports showing that text messages are the most-checked app on your phone. Text messages have become such an integral part of life that we’ve even allowed them to assist with daily tasks, like setting appointments, confirming reservations, and confirming our own identity.

SMS Abuse

Google is finally looking into doing away with SMS authentication codes, citing that receiving text messages for authentication purposes has always been far from ideal, but better than nothing. Now, however, they want to move away from SMS messages for authentication altogether. According to Forbes and Gmail spokesperson Ross Richendrfer, Google plans to lean into QR codes to “reduce to impact of rampant, global SMS abuse.”

According to text-em-all, in 2023, Americans received 288,314 spam texts per minute. Did you know that 1 in 3 people check their text notifications within one minute of receiving a text? And additionally, half of consumers respond to texts within 1-2 minutes. You could get caught up in a scam within minutes, just by responding to a text or clicking a malicious link that you thought looked fine.

Text Scams

Some of the most common text scams include fake delivery notifications, suspicious log-in attempt scams, fake fraud from your bank, scams from name-brand stores, and so much more. SMS verification codes are often at the center of these scams as well, and Google recognizes that the security value of these SMS codes is only as good as the security practices of your phone’s carrier.

Stay Diligent

With five billion potential victims, text message scams can be extremely lucrative for scammers.  To combat this, individuals will need to remain diligent and double check any text that seems off. Google will soon rely on QR codes as a more secure replacement, in hopes to prevent the continued abuse of text message scams. We personally recommend training your organization’s users to spot fake text messages and to adopt a zero-trust mindset when it comes to seemingly “off” text messages. We also recommend using an MDM software and an authentication app when available. Pioneer-360 can provide your organization with tips, tricks, software, and programs that can help you reduce your risk profile and educate your end users on how to stay safe against potential scammers.