SBD Data Sheet

Real-time detection and prevention of SIM Boxes.

Sevis’s SIM Box Defense (SBD) provides a comprehensive strategy that allows mobile operators to defend against the massive problems introduced by SIM Boxes.  SIM Box fraud is the unauthorized use of GSM gateways used to bypass the international gateway switch and associated termination fees, which directly results in severe revenue losses and other major problems for the affected operator.  SIM Boxes route voice calls from one network to mobile subscribers of another network by establishing a mobile to mobile call that appears as a call originating from a local mobile phone.  This allows the SIM Box owners to compete with carriers in wholesale markets where the SIM Box owner’s cost is much lower, thus, resulting in heavy revenue losses for the mobile carrier. 

SIM Box Defense allows mobile operators to track down and eliminate SIM Boxes from the network in real-time.  SBD adds a new dimension to fraud prevention by enabling the operator to take preventive actions immediately within a single system, there is no need to access other systems or equipment.  SIM Box Defense is an essential tool in the fight against SIM Box fraud and protecting a mobile carrier’s interconnect revenue streams.

Real-time SIM Box Detection

Early detection of SIM Boxes is critical because, in addition to revenue loss, SIM Boxes cause network congestion, poor QoS, and spectrum management issues.  SBD, therefore, utilizes an SS7/C7 data feed to collect real-time usage data for each IMSI in the network. This real-time usage data is examined to determine many attributes including outgoing/incoming call ratios, number of outgoing calls, utilization, and location changes. SIM Boxes have a unique signature, so as these attributes are filtered and graphically presented to the user, SBD allows quick and easy identification of offending SIMs. The report generation includes configurable thresholds that allow operator-specific SIM Box signatures.  Furthermore, since SIM Box fraud is typically perpetrated utilizing prepaid SIMs, SBD’s detection engine has been designed to be particularly effective in networks where the large majority of subscribers are prepaid.

Real-time SIM Box Prevention

Since SIM Boxes are a major source of revenue leakage, network congestion, and poor QoS, prompt prevention along with early detection is paramount to effectively eliminating SIM Boxes from the network.  Without a real-time prevention mechanism, operators are only made aware of the problem in a timely manner.  Mobile carriers must have the tools to take immediate action upon detection of SIM Boxes.  SBD closes the gap between detection and prevention by providing the ability to instantly disable offending SIMs.

Immediate Service Termination

Besides real-time prevention, SBD takes additional steps to close the gap between detection and prevention even further.  SBD provides operators the ability to instantly terminate service for offending SIMs.  Immediate service termination instantly cancels a SIM’s registration on the network before any additional SIM Box activity occurs.

Complements Other Fraud Systems

SBD has been designed from the ground up to co-exist as a complementary solution to other fraud management systems.  SBD specializes in areas of fraud that are typically not handled by other fraud systems.  Furthermore, SBD contains open APIs that allow it to interface directly with3^rd party fraud vendors.  This allows other fraud systems to take advantage of SBD’s analysis as well as SBD’s real-time prevention and immediate service termination capabilities.  If SIM Boxes are the major fraud problem now, SBD is the perfect solution initially.  When an operator is ready to add additional fraud detection capabilities offered by comprehensive 3^rd party systems, SBD with it’s APIs can tie in directly with any future system.

Integration and Management

Integration, provisioning, and management of SIM Box Defense is performed by a centralized controller.  It provides a single interface for managing all SBD components and provides all of the interfaces required for seamless integration with other fraud detection systems.  It is a centralized access point for integrating SBD into these systems.  An SNMP interface is also provided for forwarding faults to other management systems. 

SBD is based on Sevis’s Signaling ASE® Platform, a standards-based, carrier-grade SS7/C7 network node. It does not require a point code which eliminates network re-engineering and allows for rapid system deployment across fixed and mobile networks. Scalability is achieved by clustering additional platforms together, made easy by the platform’s transparency. The platform’s fault-handling architecture does not impact SS7/C7 link integrity and always allows messages to flow regardless of platform status.