The Identity Problem

Traditional communication service applications utilizing the legacy Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) were developed in their own “silo”, hard-coded for a specific method of transmission. That approach was sufficient in the PSTN network environment where a dedicated link between parties was established.

However, the emergence of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has introduced a new transmission method that allows non-traditional voice providers to enter the communications market, routing their calls and other digital information over the Internet. Unlike the PSTN, the Internet was built to be an open platform that enables the free exchange of information, and as such, is a shared network. While it provides cost savings over the PSTN, it has brought with it the “open door” of the Internet, elevating identity and security considerations. This evolution requires a transition from “Trust by Wire” to “Trust by Authentication” as the only means of knowing you are you.

VoIP is moving into the mainstream. 90% of enterprise communication equipment sold today is VoIP-enabled. Convergence is the new network model. The provider of the service can be, and often is, different from the provider of transport elements. In this open structure, identity validation and authorization is critical, but problematic. Four primary problems arise, all of which are solved by the ICS identity solution.

Identity Management between Service Providers
Each vendor may believe its own identity solution – in its silo - is adequate, but many do not trust the identity of other service providers with whom they may interact. The price of false identity can be high, causing a provider to be responsible for charges for which it should not have been liable.

Identity Management between an ISP and its Customer
The openness of the Internet allows end users to take on almost any identity or multiple Identities so long as the requested identity had not already been registered by someone else. The registration process in the Domain Name System (DNS) is based solely on the uniqueness of the name, not that John Doe is really John Doe. This, along with the fact that a user identity can take on many forms and that the knowledge of this identity resides in a silo, elevates the need for authentication and identity management.

SPIT or Vhishing
Another issue in a shared network architecture is fraudulent use of identity. Users of email are all too familiar with the annoyance of unwanted “SPAM” messages. The VoIP world is subject to a similar, but potentially more harmful intrusion, SPAM over Internet Telephony (“SPIT”). Sometimes called “Vhishing” (voice phishing), these calls can be more than just annoying if the caller succeeds in obtaining personal information. Most service providers now recognize that SPIT is a problem for which no effective solution currently exists.

Identity of Individuals or Independent Customers for Enterprise to Enterprise
Currently, enterprises often have security credentials they use for their own customers or employees. These credentials exist in “walled gardens”, however, having no utility for other enterprises. The ICS Solution makes such enterprise credentials usable over and over in multiple enterprise settings.