Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint to stop phone number thefts with a new mobile ID

US carriers are gearing up to launch a next-gen mobile ID platform that will hopefully make phone number thefts and other mobile authentication issues a thing of the past. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint collectively formed the so-called Mobile Authentication Taskforce not long ago, and they are now detailing the eventual product that will come out of this alliance.

The system will be more secure than the current top-shelf two-factor ID model (duh), and will be powered by the carrier networks themselves. In addition, it will be interoperable with the GSM Association's (GSMA) Mobile Connect technology, so that wherever you go, the new mobile ID platform should be compatible with local carriers, too. GSMA's CTO Alex Sinclair quipped:

As mobile becomes the remote control for day-to-day life, mobile identity is key to making things simpler and more secure for consumers. The GSMA has been working with operators around the world to bring a consistent and interoperable, secure identity service and this taskforce will strengthen that effort by enabling a simple user experience quickly and conveniently in the US market.

There you have it - US carriers will be using AI and machine learning techniques (again, duh) to equip everyone with "cryptographically verified phone number," and combine it with real-time info on the user's IP, SIM card, and account type plus duration, all in order to profile risk and react if something our of the ordinary happens to your mobile number. The US carriers' mobile ID platform is going into trials soon, and should roll out by year's end.

source: AT&T