Communication Service Providers (CSPs) face a constant challenge in protecting their telecommunications networks from spam, fraud, and unlawful activity. In fact, fighting robocalls and these issues is a federal priority in both the USA and Canada. Two key tools that CSPs use to protect their networks are behavior monitoring and phone number scoring.
In this article, we cover:
An average of 13 robocalls per person in the USA were placed in December of 2022. That’s a total of 4.3 billion calls, just in that one month. (It’s 5.7 million per hour, in case you were wondering.)
So how does a CSP — or any enterprise, for that matter — determine which calls are okay, and which are fraud / spam / legitimate robocalls (like appointment reminders)? One way is behavior monitoring.
Behavior monitoring is a method of analyzing data such as how often calls are made, call length, when calls are made, and audio content left as voicemails by these numbers. This behavior monitoring data provides visibility into usage behaviors that can be analyzed. With standards and references of known spammers, CSPs can then make their own decision — and/or an overall policy on the type of caller — as to whether or not that number is an unwanted caller. By continuing to monitor behaviors across a network, CSPs can identify patterns and anomalies, and act accordingly.
Some CSPs have this capability in-house. Others use service providers to supply the analysis and reporting for them.
Telephone number scoring, on the other hand, incorporates further analytics, often from AI processing, and with some providers even voice message audio data.
From behaviors, voice/content data, AI processing, and a massive database, a service provider can then assign a probability that a given phone number is associated with spam, unlawful activity, or fraud. This allows CSPs to make policies and decisions about what to do with certain groups or categories of phone numbers based on their scores.
CSPs can choose to automate certain handlings, from labeling certain calls via the recipient’s Caller ID, to outright blocking of those numbers.
Few CSPs have the in-house capability to effect useful Phone Number Scoring, and even fewer have that capability in connection with audio data from millions of voicemails.
Differences And Examples Of Behavior Monitoring And Phone Number Scoring
The key difference between Behavior Monitoring and Phone Number Scoring is that Behavior Monitoring tells you what’s happening with a number or groups of numbers. But Phone Number Scoring gives you a correlation between those behaviors and the likelihood of their intent.
Behavior monitoring allows CSPs to identify patterns of suspicious activity and take action to prevent it. Phone Number Scoring, on the other hand, provides CSPs with a more detailed understanding of the likelihood that a phone number is associated with spam, fraud, or unlawful activity.
To put it even more simply, Behavior Monitoring tells you what a number is doing. Phone Number Scoring tells you the likelihood of the intent of that call.
Both behavior monitoring and telephone number scoring are critical tools for CSPs looking to protect their telecommunications networks from spam, fraud, and other types of abuse.
By using the one which works best for them, CSPs can gain a comprehensive understanding of the risks facing their networks and take appropriate action to mitigate them.
YouMail Protective Services helps CSPs have the data — and analysis — they need in order to fight robocallers and fraud on their networks. Get a free whitepaper on The Critical Role of Audio Analytics in Robocall Threat Mitigation Programs here >