EW SMS Firewall as a Strategic Asset: Eastwind and Telco Operator Zain Kuwait Reflect on 2024
Zain Kuwait is a telecom operator with a subscriber base of over 2.5 million. The company is part of the Zain Group, which operates across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, and other countries in the Middle East and Africa.
A2P “Gray” Route Traffic Undermines Operator Revenues
Currently, authorization codes are increasingly being sent via messaging apps rather than SMS. Nevertheless, A2P traffic continues to grow. It is accompanied by a rise in unscrupulous content providers exploiting “gray” SMS routes to avoid paying the rates set by operators. In 2023 alone, the global telecom market suffered nearly $40 billion in losses due to fraud, accounting for 2.5% of total industry revenues.
Back in 2022, Zain Kuwait took proactive measures to combat SMS fraud. The telecom operator implemented the Eastwind SMS Firewall, which helps monetize A2P traffic while effectively preventing fraud and spam.
Zain Group, which includes Zain Kuwait, boasts a total of 45.2 million active subscribers
How we implemented the EW SMS Firewall at Zain Kuwait
One Solution – One Goal – Various Applications
Several departments at Zain Kuwait leverage the EW SMS Firewall to address various business needs and achieve their KPIs:
- B2B Department – ensures compliance from content providers and SMS hubs according to partnership agreements.
- Revenue Assurance Department – focuses on monetizing A2P traffic. Within this department, the Anti-fraud Group works diligently to maintain a clean and secure network.
- Network Division – the technical unit that is responsible for directly operating the EW SMS Firewall to detect and block fraudulent activities.
During the visit, the Eastwind team met with each department. We presented a traffic analysis report that identified monetizable segments. The report distinguishes between legitimate and “gray” routes, enabling Zain Kuwait to seek compensation from unscrupulous content providers, renegotiate contracts, or remove them from the message delivery chain.
We also introduced the EW SMS Firewall planned enhancements for Zain Kuwait in 2024, such as the capability to analyze SMS content and identify spam through keyword filtering. Additionally, we provided hands-on training to local specialists on configuring the analyzer, empowering them to independently set up message blocking criteria.
The second major enhancement involves filters for tracking A2P traffic disguised as P2P via SIM boxes. We have added approximately 15 apps, including TikTok, Facebook, Google, and WhatsApp, to the sender list, configuring roughly 100 filtering rules for each. This ensures that the operator does not lose revenue due to the SIM boxes generating fraudulent A2P messages.
“We don’t just deliver the EW SMS Firewall to our clients. Our team provides comprehensive Managed Services. We continuously monitor traffic and proactively adjust filtering rules to help our clients maximize monetization even further.”
URL Phishing: New Capabilities of the EW SMS Firewall
Alongside the improvements, the Eastwind team introduced new features of the EW SMS Firewall to Zain Kuwait, including URL phishing detection capabilities. This feature allows:
- Verification of suspicious links in messages by cross-referencing phishing site databases
- Blocking of SMS containing phishing links
- Generation of detailed reports on detected links and the websites they redirect to
Eastwind customizes software to align with client needs, ensuring maximum value. The Revenue Assurance Department at Zain Kuwait has recognized the EW SMS Firewall as a profitable asset
Before the release of the URL phishing feature, we analyzed Zain Kuwait's SMS traffic and confirmed the critical need for this functionality — in just one month, we detected over 1,000 SMS messages containing phishing links. With this feature now in place, such traffic will be blocked, and the operator will receive reports on these incidents.
“Phishing links are often widespread and short-lived. For instance, scammers may launch SMS attacks during festive periods when people are less vigilant and click on links without scrutiny. As a result, perpetrators gain access to sensitive information such as passport details, card numbers, and mobile banking credentials. The EW SMS Firewall safeguards subscribers against such threats, strengthening their trust in the telecom operator.”
The Eastwind team also discussed further development directions for the EW SMS Firewall at Zain Kuwait, with more information to be disclosed in upcoming posts.
Discover how the EW SMS Firewall can address your business challenges.