William Shakespeare once famously pondered, “What’s in a name?” The second half of his quote, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” may ring true for a flower or a person, but for brands, the story gets a little more complicated. 

Common best practice tells us that a brand name should be many things all at once: short, sweet and easy to pronounce, but also unique and identifiable while not impinging on an existing trademark.  

Upon hearing our name, 10x People, the most common question we get next is, “How’d you choose that name?” We’re glad you asked. The 10x People origin story and where we came from is a great way to reflect on our upcoming birthday celebration. The 10x People journey began with a bold leap of faith spurred by a vision to revolutionize the numbering industry. We feel our name holds true to what every brand name should be at its core: a reflection of our company personality.

Company Inception: The Leap of Faith

Every successful venture has its starting point; that pivotal moment when inspiration strikes and a company is born. For 10x People Founder and CEO Lisa Marie Maxson, it all began with an unwavering belief to fill a need and with the help of a customer who saw potential in the future company’s capabilities. 

For Maxson, that customer came before the company name was even created.

“We jumped right in with two feet and had a customer that believed in us,” Maxson says. “They trusted us to build solutions from the ground up and we delivered beyond expectations. That trust fueled our drive to create something extraordinary and it started the company.”

The 10x People Origin Story and the Power of Empowerment

Next came the evolution of the company name. Maxon stressed the importance for the company name to be meaningful and carry significance. 

“10x People all stems from the 10x Methodology, a software approach we had honed over years of experience in developing software for other companies,” Maxson says. “At its core, the 10x Methodology champions the idea of empowered individuals—people who are not just employees but champions of innovation.”

Thus was born a company value titled Empowered Plus, which is derived from the book, “The 10X Rule” by Grant Cardone. The value states that empowerment comes from constant education, which empowers the team and, in turn, empowers customers.

“10x People is made up of individuals who take risks, go the extra mile and dive head first into solving complex challenges for our customers,” Maxson says. “They are the driving force behind our success. In contrast, a 5x person does their job well but stays within their defined boundaries, while a 1x person simply stamps a piece of paper and moves a task along. At 10x People, we reject silos and encourage our team members to take on diverse tasks and roles. That’s the 10x People way.” 

The "Aha" Moment: A Glimpse of the Future

The 10x People "aha" moment came when the company reimagined how the industry approaches number portability and realized as a team that they could make the process more efficient and streamlined, Maxson recalls. 

“As we embarked on this journey, we discovered the hunger within the industry for vendors who listened and continually improved their offerings to meet specific numbering needs,” Maxson says. “That's when we knew we were onto something truly special here at 10x People.”

The Importance of a Meaningful Company Name

Maxon says the name 10x People perfectly encapsulates the company’s core values and identity.

“Our name signifies that our business is all about the people—empowered individuals who drive innovation and go above and beyond to support our customers' success,” Maxson says. “Our solutions are a testament to the dedication of our 10x People.”

The company’s origin story is an integral part of the company’s brand narrative.

“The concepts of 10x People embody our commitment to excellence and innovation,” Maxson says. “It's not just about what we do; it's about the kind of people we are and the culture we foster.

Looking back, Maxson is incredibly satisfied with the name 10x People. 

“It represents not just our company but also our values and our team,” Maxson says. “To aspiring entrepreneurs, we emphasize the importance of selecting a meaningful and impactful company name. The name has become an integral part of our brand identity.”

Celebrating 10 Years and the ‘Essence of 10x People’

In a few words, Maxson says 10x People can be described as “a team of empowered individuals who love to work hard for our customers and also know how to play hard and have fun.” 

As 10x People celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year, the 10x People empowerment story continues to grow and evolve. 

“The story of how we got our name reflects the very heart of 10x People: an empowered, innovative and dedicated team that strives for excellence in everything we do,” Maxson says. “Our name is not just a label; it's a testament to who we are and what we stand for.”

Seeing the same number over and over again is typically seen as a sign of good luck – an omen that happiness and success are on the way. So as we blow out 10 candles on our 10x People birthday cake this year, we must say we’re feeling extra lucky to reflect on the journey that allows us to celebrate a full decade of success.

But as any business owner knows, luck is just one infinitesimal piece of the birthday cake. For us, our secret ingredients include education, expertise and a second-to-none team that fostered our revolution from a group of consultants into a full blown numbering solutions business. 

Albert Einstein once said, “The only source of knowledge is experience,” and after 10 years pioneering solutions in the numbering portability and management space, we’re feeling particularly inspired to share some of what we’ve learned with you. In this Q&A, our CEO Lisa Marie Maxson reflects on the experiences, choices and successes that make up the 10x People story, including finding inspiration in “The 10X Rule” while achieving sustainable growth, fostering a company culture and adapting to changing business needs. 

What inspired you to start your company, and how has your initial vision evolved over the past decade?

I love working with a smart group of people to solve problems for customers. We saw a lot of unmet needs in the industry 10 years ago, particularly in the numbering space. We knew we could bring new and updated modern solutions to meet a need. 

Local number portability was where we got our start. When looking at numbering more broadly, numbers have become an identity for people. Numbers are important in our society and looking beyond the ability to keep your number and provide numbers to customers and the services that go with them is important. 

In the competitive business landscape, longevity can be a remarkable achievement. What strategies or decisions do you believe played a significant role in sustaining your company's growth and success over the last 10 years?

We didn’t seek to create products or solutions that duplicated what had been in the industry for years. The industry has evolved from landline porting and how we viewed numbers for a household as opposed to an individual. We reimagined the space. We took a fresh look at what our customers needed, not what they already had in place. We continue to work with our customers to identify needs and address them. 

Could you highlight some of the core values or guiding principles that have shaped your company's culture, and approach to business and contributed to your longevity?

One of our values is empowered plus, which was inspiration from the book, “The 10X Rule” by Grant Cardone. The crux of this value states that empowerment comes from constant education, which empowers the team and, in turn, empowers our customers. Each of our employees has the ability to do what they need to support our customers, our products and each other. We believe that making mistakes is invaluable for learning. We also value honesty and integrity. We work with our customers, making sure we are working together as a team when there are  problems to address. Engaging as a team and working toward one goal is vital to the success of our business.

Other values we pride ourselves in cultivating is having a growth mindset and focusing on having an always learning mentality. Our always learning value was emphasized recently with our intern project, which gave us an opportunity to focus on learning and playing with new functionality in a sandbox that benefited the products as a whole. We also embrace curiosity and having fun!

Adapting to market trends and changes is crucial for a business's survival. Can you share an instance where your company demonstrated agility and innovation to stay relevant?

We continue to grow our products, adding data to nView, our query tool that’s necessary for our customers. An example of our agility is ensuring products can support international data, providing a service both in North America and globally. We are always looking ahead to the greater need.

Building a strong team is essential for any successful company. How did you approach team building and talent acquisition to ensure your company had the right people to support its growth and vision?

We first look for a cultural fit. We believe certain people need the right skills for the job but skills can be learned. We want people that embrace our values and are invested in the success of building solutions for our customers. Culture is what it's about here at 10x People. 

Customers play a vital role in a company's success. How has your company maintained a customer-centric approach throughout the years?

We are regularly in contact with our customers, listening to their needs and not just those specific to our products but to their business as well. Sometimes we even refer business to our partners if we don’t have a solution for a customer. This provides more trust and credibility. If we offer that, it’s because we stand behind them as a partner. We have a ‘win-as-one’ strategy with our partners. We are not trying to do everything for everyone but instead focus on working together with other partners to win together while also putting the customer first. 

Business expansion is often part of growth strategies. Can you discuss any expansion initiatives your company undertook during the past decade?

Our first products were LNP focused. Then we focused on number intelligence, which we look at more globally in the marketplace. We soon began focusing more on the customer’s world of numbers. This includes their inventory, their acquisition and assignment of numbers. Increasingly, we have become involved in numbering policy to support our customers in their success. We give that information back to them. We support their interests and keep them informed on what’s going on in the industry. We have become an influencer in the numbering space as opposed to being just a watcher.

Reflecting on the journey, what do you consider a defining moment or turning point?

In our initial start of business, we did a lot of consulting work as we built up our products. The decision to eliminate all consulting work and focus on our products and bringing additional products to the market was a breakthrough turning point for 10x People. 

The business landscape has seen significant technological advancements. How has your company embraced technology and digital transformation?

We were the first local number portability provider to launch completely in the cloud software as a service space, which gave us a huge advantage for scalability and service delivery. It also gave us flexibility to continually introduce new features and make changes that our customers request. We continue to look for additional tools that will enhance our product offerings. For instance, we are leveraging AI into our products and services to enhance customer value and provide additional efficiencies.

As a leader, what leadership philosophies or practices do you believe have been instrumental in fostering a cohesive and motivated team?

Being empowered is huge. Making sure we are having fun at work is also just as important. That cultural fit is super important here at 10x People. We are slow to hire and quick to fire. We have a strong focus on family and putting our families first. 

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the company's future? 

Looking forward, the world continues to be a smaller place with the growth of technology. We can continue to reach more people. Communications are still very relevant to our life today. You can speak to someone around the world instantly. So the telecoms industry will continue to be the key to the future. We will continue to work with service provider customers as they expand globally and as they expand technologically. As tech grows, we continue to see that telephone numbers are still the way that we reach others moving forward. Another identifier has yet to be identified. When and if it is, we will be there, leading the way with our customers.

Finally, when you reflect on your company's 10-year journey, what makes you most proud? 

I think what makes me proud is that we have absolutely no customer turnover. Our customers are loyal to us, they love our solutions, they love to work with us and we love working for them. That’s a direct result of the 10x People team and our company values working for our clients.

Big news from the land of software product solutions in Littleton, Colorado! We’re proud to announce we have been selected as a winner of the prestigious Colorado Companies to Watch 2023. As we celebrate our 10th birthday this year, it feels like the ultimate gift. So, it's time to pop the confetti cannons as we outline why we are so proud of this particular award at a time when we are also celebrating a decade as the Local Number Portability (LNP) software and service gurus of Colorado.

Working to Drive Colorado's Economic Growth

Colorado Companies to Watch is no ordinary accolade. It recognizes dynamic companies that play a vital role in fueling Colorado's economic growth. To earn this honor, companies must be nominated by their peers and are judged based on their employment and revenue growth, business successes, and unique strengths. Having begun our journey in 1996 as a consultancy before officially forming under the 10x People name in 2013, we feel fortunate to continue to grow and help drive economic growth right here in Littleton. 

Innovating for a Decade

We’ve heard some people dread their birthdays, but not us. The fact that we’ve been rocking the telephone number management SaaS scene for an entire decade gives us cause for celebration. So cue the music because Penelope the Porting Panda (our unofficial mascot to the right) is breaking out the celebratory dance moves! We owe our tenure to our listen-first, agile, and automation-focused methodology, which has helped us revolutionize the telecommunications industry through our innovative SaaS platform of solutions designed specifically for Telecom Carriers and Service Providers. Our commitment to simplifying our customers’ lives, providing exceptional customer support, and our dedication to continuous improvement has made 10x People a leading player in the telecom industry and the go-to vendor for companies like Zoom, Lumen, Dish, T-Mobile, and many others.

Why Littleton, Colorado is Our Perfect Home

Based in the lovely city of Littleton, Colorado, 10x People has found the ideal environment for our company to thrive and grow. From the very beginning and for a variety of reasons, we made a conscious choice to base our company here. Why? It’s a community where work and play tango harmoniously thanks to a range of outdoor activities and cultural attractions that give our employees and their families an excellent quality of life.

But wait, there's more! Littleton isn't just a scenic wonderland; it's also close to Denver, DTC, and Boulder, providing easy access to thriving business communities and a highly skilled talent pool. Plus, it's a hop, skip, and a jump away from Denver International Airport, ensuring smooth flights to our nationwide customers and partners. The icing on the 10-year-old birthday cake? Littleton and Colorado boast a growing tech sector, allowing 10x People to network and collaborate with other tech-savvy superheroes in our industry.

Pivotal Moments and Unwavering Commitment

Accolades like this CCTW recognition give us good reason to reflect on the path that brought us to where we are today. 10x People has weathered storms (anybody remember 2020?) and emerged stronger than ever. From retaining our Intellectual Property in 2013 to transitioning into a product-focused powerhouse in 2016, we’ve shown that adaptability and innovation are in our DNA. Even the global pandemic couldn't dampen our spirit. Instead of retreating, we stayed true to our core values and continued delivering exceptional products to our customers while keeping true to our promise to not cut a single employee. These pivotal moments have helped us evolve into the company we are today, and we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in telephone number management SaaS solutions.

Innovation: The Key to Our Success

Innovation is the beating heart of 10x People. We are all about creating new ideas, products, and services that solve real-world issues in a better, more straightforward way. We stay ahead of the curve by fostering a culture of creativity and critical thinking. We listen to our customers and continuously improve our solutions, pushing the boundaries of what's expected from a SaaS provider.

Workplace Culture and Making a Difference

We’ve built a positive and supportive workplace that values work-life balance and personal growth. Employees are encouraged to take ownership, share ideas, and contribute to our company's success. And let's not forget the commitment of 10x People employees to give back! They support local and national initiatives, volunteer, organize fundraisers, and empower the next generation of innovators right here in Littleton with our encouragement and support.

Driving Forward with Growth and Customer Focus

As we march boldly into the future with this award win and a decade of prosperity under our belt, 10x People has its sights set on future growth both here at home and in other markets, including Canada. Expanding our product offering, including international number capabilities, is one of our key strategies. We listen intently to our customers and work closely with them to develop solutions addressing their challenges. By understanding our customers' needs and staying ahead of the competition, 10x People is confident in our ability to continue growing and thriving.

Connect with 10x People Today

With our innovative solutions, commitment to customer success, and vibrant company culture, 10x People is set to conquer new frontiers and revolutionize the way businesses manage their telecom operations. We will continue to make Colorado proud and can't wait to see what’s next.

Are you interested in learning more about 10x People? Connect with us today at info@10xpeople.com, and let us know how we can help your business thrive!

As the Founder and CEO of 10x People, I'm deeply aware of the importance of Women’s History Month.

President Jimmy Carter first established Women’s History Month in February 1980. He declared the week of March 8th National Women’s History Week to “acknowledge the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society.” This week quickly became a month's celebration when Congress passed Public Law 97-28, officially declaring March as Women's History Month in 1987. Today, we recognize this whole month as an opportunity for all people—not just women—to recognize and appreciate women's impact on our world throughout history.

From the beginning of my career, I have had many great women mentor and help me advance. These mentors struggled to advance in telecommunications when they started in the 1960s and 1970s. I will never forget one of my mentors telling me that when she was newly promoted to management, she was told by her new peers that by taking a man’s job, she was “taking food out of people's mouths.”  Another mentor continually received cat calls working as a telecom “frame dame” when she bent over to adjust jumpers on the mainframe. Through perseverance and hard work, these women ultimately became senior executives at large telecommunications companies. They taught me the same perseverance and reliance on my skills to rise in my career, supporting me along my journey.

When I started my first business, I had just had my son a month earlier.  In 1996, it was not common for women in technology with infants to have the flexible work schedules with remote work opportunities we appreciate today.  Back then, we had two options: You either had to work in the office part-time for 20 hours or full-time for 40 hours during a 9 to 5 work day. So what did I do after starting my business?  I hired three other women with infants to work with me. These women and the men ultimately hired to work with us were highly productive when they could work and had the flexibility to leave it behind to care for their families. My first company had thirteen new babies in the first three years. We were highly profitable and had excellent job satisfaction. Some of these women still work with me today. I have always had a policy of family first! For women with families to be successful in the workforce, flexibility is key.

As a female business leader, I’m passionate about using my platform to empower other women. This means celebrating those who have come before us while also recognizing those making history right now. At 10x People, we actively seek opportunities to support and encourage young women considering STEM careers, women returning to the workforce, and female entrepreneurs by providing mentorship opportunities and promoting their businesses whenever possible. We also prioritize hiring practices that are focused on equal representation across gender lines, both within our team itself and among our partners.

We believe it is essential for all leaders to recognize these accomplishments and show support for other female leaders working towards creating positive change in their communities. By supporting each other through recognition and initiatives such as these, we can ensure that more young girls feel inspired by the stories of powerful women throughout history—and realize their own potential for greatness too!

Women’s History Month is an important time for all of us to take stock of how far we have come regarding gender equality since its inception over 40 years ago. It also serves as a reminder of what has been achieved so far while also reminding us there is still so much work left undone before true gender parity can be realized worldwide.

Porting has evolved in the last 25+ years.  10x People has watched early assumptions prove limiting and new use cases arise that were not considered at its inception.  Number portability has come a long way from the “I want to change my carrier but keep my number” days. Take a trip with us down memory lane with a look to the future. 

In the Beginning, there was Wireline

The FCC mandated Number Portability in the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  Its purpose was to enable competition in the marketplace and the rise of the CLECs. An NPAC system was implemented in the seven Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC) regions.  One for Pacific Bell, Ameritech, Southwestern Bell, Bellsouth, US West, Bell Atlantic, and Nynex.  The initial porting volumes were based on the assumption that most of the porting volume would be business customers porting their number ranges, with only 20% being single TN ports.  A rate of 2-TNs per second was calculated to support this volume.  Unexpectedly, single ports quickly became popular as cable companies entered the market, offering consumers the “triple play” of TV, internet, and local home phone service.  This completely upset the range ports assumption. 

Enter the Wireless Carriers

In 2002 the FCC required wireless players to support number portability.  The wireless carriers worked to put a process in place to begin porting in 2003. The number of single ports accelerated as cell phones became a part of everyday life.  Carriers fought for customers by evolving their mobile service plans, including changes from per-minute charges, to tiered buckets of minutes, to unlimited talk time.  Likewise, texting experienced similar pricing patterns (we all remember those news stories of parents seeing $1000+ cell phone bills because their teenagers were racking up charges at 10 cents per text message).

As wireless usage grew more ubiquitous, Intermodal porting, that is, porting between wireless and wireline carriers, became popular as customers began cutting the home phone cord and taking their home phone numbers mobile.  Some consumers wished to keep their home phone, and the cable companies partnered with the wireless carriers to offer the “quad-play” (home phone over coax, TV, internet, and wireless from their wireless partner).  With the increase of the triple play and quad play, the cable companies pushed for a shorter porting interval, and in 2011 the industry adopted the “one-day simple port,” thereby allowing consumers to experience shorter timelines to transition to their TV displaying caller ID information as they were watching the news or a TV show.

Home phone usage, whether traditional copper, coax, or fiber to the home, has continued to decrease year over year as family members, both young and old, have now moved to a mobile device, especially with the introduction of the smartphone.

Network Management via Porting

Porting volumes began to rise as porting was used to perform network grooming/load balancing/routing unrelated to consumers.  Providers could change calling name (CNAM) providers, update new optional fields related to a number, and groom their networks by sending traffic to different LRNs for different switches. 

When consolidations started, porting numbers from disparate networks onto the same network increased volumes.  All four major nationwide wireless providers had acquisitions that resulted in large porting events.  

Want to use my Network?  

In walked the wholesalers who provide networks to other service providers or large business customers.  Not only were large customers moving between carriers, but virtual network providers began buying telephone numbers they could assign. 

DDoS Attack Recovery

With the introduction of cloud-based communications, service providers began using VoIP technology to offer service.  The ability to establish a telephony network quickly gave rise to this new type of provider.  However, like many other things operating over the internet, vulnerabilities were exposed.  Fortunately, VoIP providers under DDoS attacks or having network issues could use porting to change routing.  In our current ecosystem with legacy providers, there is no way to move traffic to respond to this type of event quickly.  LERG changes are distributed at most daily.  Some providers only update their LERG every week, month or quarter. 

What’s next?

The industry has just completed an increased load activity in production (11-TNs per second), the first increase activity in over 10 years, and volume and speed are expected to rise.  This might seem slow in today’s real-time world, but many legacy networks still can’t deal with provisioning at that rate.  Looking forward, porting will continue to evolve to meet industry needs.  VoIP networks will replace legacy networks.  New use cases, such as bifurcation data from voice, will leverage available systems/resources.  There is no end to creativity in the marketplace.  

Have no doubt 10x People will continue to advocate for you, partner with you, and evolve our products to meet your needs!

History info:

• The NPAC supports emerging technologies and is the only number portability system that supports multiple communications technologies in a single repository.
  • 1998—wireline number porting begins
  • 1999—wireline number pooling introduced
  • 2000—intra-carrier pooling for network maintenance began
  • 2002—wireless number pooling implemented; began supporting customer technology migrations
  • 2003—wireless, intermodal (between wireline and wireless), and wireless inter-carrier porting begins
  • 2007—interconnected VoIP porting begins
  • 2010—IP fields implemented
  • 2011—one-day simple port porting required for small carriers

At 10x People, we value the growth of our employees and strive to partner with them and invest together for their future success. It is important for us that we build a strong culture, with a qualified team that loves our company, their job responsibilities and the customers and industry we serve. In almost a decade, we have invested heavily in employee growth and over this year, we have made more of an impact. 

10x People is committed to investing in the future. We understand the importance of building future leaders in telecommunications and technology. We strive to empower their success. We believe by working together we as a community can win as one. Here a few of our success stories:

Tiffany

Starting her Sophomore year at the University of Kentucky. She will continue working part-time with 10x People as her schedule permits. We expect great things from Tiffany in the future. “My 10x People internship has expanded my knowledge of the telecommunication industry, and computer science.  I have worked on a variety of projects and gained experience working with my mentor Talon Marquard who has been patient, willing, and eager to help me learn. Working at 10x People has been a wonderful experience!”  Fun Fact: She is the organization queen.  In addition to her planners and todo lists she has 4 large white boards on her walls and two smaller hand held ones. 

Carter 

Carter is a strong team player on our number management team. We are so excited he joined 10x People after graduation from the University of Kentucky College of Engineer with a BS in Computer Science. He and our CEO, Lisa Marie both bleed Kentucky blue!  He hit the ground running to help supercharge our product development to bring OWL to the market. Carter started with our organization as an intern and we were such a perfect match, he has moved into a full time role.  For exercise, Carter takes his golden retriever puppy, Captain, on runs outside, and is just waiting for when Captain can out-run him.

Sarah 

Returned to the workforce on a “returnship” with us after a very successful job as a parent-in-charge of three children.  It didn’t take us long to know that she was a perfect permanent hire for our team! She has been a key player in working with our customers and the development team to make OWL, our SaaS number ordering system, a reality. Sarah keeps work life balance skiing, hiking, biking and playing tennis.  Her twins are off to college this year but will be busy with her eighth grader.

Sydney 

Sydney is a Data Analyst in Fraud Prevention with a 10x People partner. Sydney graduated from Colgate University with a BA in Mathmatics.  Her time at 10x People gave her the computer basics she needed to support her work in Data Analytics.  Now that Sydney no longer plays college soccer she can mix skiing and running to keep a good work life balance. 

Thankful for Growth and Investment 

We appreciate all of the hard work each of these individuals has contributed to our team at 10x People and strive to continue bringing in new employees who fit our culture and want to grow. 

We would love to work with you to invest in your future!

Now there is a simple way to get the mental health support you need!

Starting July 16th the new 988 hotline allows individuals easy access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and mental health resources.   There has been a  hotline available at 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK).  However, the odds of remembering this number, much less remembering it existed in a crisis, have been low.  988 has been two years in the making!  The telecommunications industry has worked diligently to change our dialing plans to allow this lifeline to go live.  

Did you know that 988 is not just for someone who is suicidal? 

Mental health affects every aspect of our lives: how we feel about ourselves and the world; solve problems, cope with stress, and overcome challenges; build relationships and connect with others; and perform in school, work, and throughout life. Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being and is an essential component of overall health.¹  As a nation, we are beginning to destigmatize and address mental health issues long before they reach the point of contemplating suicide.

To learn more about the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration's 988 resources and information, visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988.

Did you know that 988 supports texting and chat?

The FCC expanded the scope of the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to include the ability to text 988 to directly reach the Lifeline to better support at-risk communities in crisis, including youth and individuals with disabilities. The use of texting and chat has exploded, and the states are working hard to support the demand. Several states, including our home state of Colorado, are increasing funding to handle the new functionality.

¹ U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2020 May 28). What is Mental Health? MentalHealth.gov. Accessed on November 10, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.mentalhealth. gov/basics/what-is-mental-health 

Today carriers are inundated with SIM swap fraud and are struggling to address consumer attacks in a timely manner.  In 2012, carriers saw a significant increase in SIM swap fraud that utilized number porting.  At that time fraud was focused on device take over for use of the phone capabilities. In 2017 there was another significant increase in fraud.  This spike was due to fraudsters' focus on monetary gain and correlated with the surge in bitcoin value.  Bitcoin is highly coveted by cybercriminals and is notoriously used for illicit activities and money laundering on the darknet.  The fraud will continue as long as there is monetary gain.

What are Service Providers doing to protect your mobile identity? 

Many Service Providers have introduced the concept of a porting pin to prevent porting fraud. This PIN must be provided before the Service Provider will allow a port to occur.  This approach has significantly decreased porting fraud but has yet to eliminate the problem.  Not all service providers have implemented the porting PIN and it does not work in all cases.   

To avoid putting their customers at risk of personal accounts getting compromised and financial loss, mobile carriers need to be attentive in their authentication practices. 

What action is the FCC taking to protect your mobile identity? 

The FCC’s issued a notice of proposed rulemaking related to protecting consumers from SIM Swap and Port-Out Fraud requiring phone carriers to authenticate customer’s identity before transferring their number to a new phone. For example, having customers authenticate their identity by offering a pre-established password or getting a one-time password sent via text message, email or phone call.  Carriers will also have to immediately notify customers if a SIM change request is made on their account.  

If customers cannot authenticate their accounts, the provider will not be able to SIM swap phones via these methods. Phone carriers will also have to give customers a “port-freeze” option on their accounts that does not allow for any SIM Swapping.

To date, there is no industry-wide solution

The concept of “port locking” has been discussed in industry forums as early as 2003 and as recently as 2019.  However, this is not a direction being considered today.  

What can you do to protect yourself?

Consumers can log on to the FTC’s  identitytheft.gov website to report theft and learn how to protect themselves. A few immediate actions you can take include: 

• Pay attention to your bill - if you notice anything peculiar, contact your phone company
• Protect your account with a PIN - without this password, your account cannot be accessed. 
• Be on the alert for Phishing Scams - never give financial or other information to unexpected callers. If you’re concerned about an account issue, call the company back and make sure you use a known phone number. 

As victims are experiencing the costs, no consensus has yet been reached on an implementation approach for carriers much less consumers.  If you are a victim, Identitytheft.gov provides resources including step-by-step instructions to guide victims through the recovery process. 

Get insights into what happens when fraudsters steal your mobile identity by reading our Mobile Identity Nightmare - Attack blog. 

Now that Bob knows he has been attacked, how does he attempt to recover his identity?

Recovery from the Attack

• Bob begins by trying to reach customer support centers at his financial institutions, but couldn’t reach anyone who could help.
• He could find no way to quickly reach anyone at Google support after hours via phone or email.
• Initially, the wireless carrier customer service center was unable to help.  Being telecom savvy, Bob was persistent in escalating to get to someone who could help. 
• Bob had an extra SIM card in the office that he could use to move his number back to his own mobile device.
• It took Bob over an hour to regain control of his phone number working with his backup SIM card.
• Bob lost control of Gmail for over 2 hours before he was able to get Google to shut down his account. 
• Unfortunately, hacked Gmail accounts are considered poisoned by Google, and can not be recovered.  With no backup, Bob lost years of emails and pictures of his family due to the incident.

The Damage is Done

While the average person may not be aware of SIM swap fraud, much less how to prevent it, Bob was fortunate in that his knowledge allowed him to quickly regain his phone number and limit his damages.  He lost his Gmail account but had no financial loss and was not personally attacked.  Bob is not alone.  Attacks occur every day around the world.  

What is being done about this?