The advantages of SMS verification

Current situation

Consumers are increasingly worried about personal data, a perfectly understandable fear considering that 40% of users have had their passwords stolen. But individuals are not the only users affected by cybercrime, as according to reports, this type of criminal activity also comes at a huge cost to businesses and brands that have to invest as much in technical support (to restore and strengthen their services), as they do in their efforts to boost their reputation and image. It is for this reason that it has become more and more common for businesses to use verification codes and APIs which provide a completely secure service.

Consumers are often overwhelmed by the number of passwords they have to remember to access all the various online websites that they use. For ease, consumers usually use passwords that are easy to remember, but this puts their security at serious risk – even a good password (with a mix of numbers of capitals, lower-case letters and special characters) is not 100% secure. For this reason, passwords are often not sufficient and alternatives exist, like SMS, through platforms like LabsMobile.

What is the best alternative?

Some of the following forms of access are useful for specific environments but are not recommendable for applications that require global access and a high level of security:

• Authentication systems that use fingerprints, retina scanning and wearables are not widespread. They also bring hardware             issues, and that you physically have to be in a specific place to get access.
• Access through social media or email are easy to falsify.
• Password cards or apps are trustworthy but can be lost easily and be expensive to make.

The advantages of SMS verification

Utilizing verification codes sent by SMS to mobile phone numbers is the most secure alternative. It’s also easy to set up.

Authentication utilizing verification codes sent to users’ telephone numbers via SMS is becoming the best alternative to passwords. Currently, a lot of businesses use this system as a way to provide secure access to their services while keeping customer information safe. The use of an SMS API has several different advantages:

• The whole world has a mobile telephone number.
• You don’t need to install any additional hardware.
• Sending SMS comes at a very low cost.
• It is practically impossible to intercept an SMS code sent through the GSM network that is valid for only a few minutes.

This system works by sending verification codes (PIN) which only the telephone user can utilize to access the page, application or service. The PIN received by SMS expires in just a few minutes to prevent interception by third parties.

SMS API with LabsMobile

Implementing an API that generates and sends codes to verify user access is both easy and simple. With international coverage, a platform like LabsMobile can be used to verify users all over the globe.

In addition, the SMS API consists of a specific library for the generation and validation of OTP (One-Time Password) codes that can be used from any software, app, website or system. This OTP adds an additional layer of security by storing codes generated by the LabsMobile platform which can be inserted into the text of any personalized message, access attempt etc.