My name is Peter Kamakia of Mitambo ICT company.
Recentry i got nation media group journalists to assist me break out the issue of possible abuse
of bulk sms services to cause mayhem because of an existing loophole in among our telkom
industry players.
http://www.cofek.co.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=835%3Afraudsters-can-now-easily-use-your-number-to-send-out-offensive-messages&catid=1%3Alatest-news&Itemid=61
I did that after failing to get audience with any interested persons in government.
1. My efforts seem to have worked and i hope and believe that is why CCK established the licensed content provider
licensing.
2. And very significantly the biggest telecom in the country, safaricom, installed an sms filter so that it is no longer
possible to manipulate externally originated sms to appear to come from local telecoms.
Please be advised... as per my last test only safaricom had addressed this problem. The other telecoms still are open to abuse. The only relief and my earlier worry was that safaricom has a dominant market share and so it was the worst
target for malicious sms content.
So i consider the matter somewhat addressed.
3.I have noted and applauded CCK efforts to do something about haphazard sms capabilities that unfortunately
originate from outside the country , ie bulk sms providers.
The only small difficulty is that aiming to regulate smses that are generally manufactured from outside the
country and distributed through internet channels is as difficult as policing the internet.
The providers of these smses locally, buy them from "out there" and only use local ict capability too integrate
them locally for marketing services.
I urge CCK to integrate and involve the wider ICT industry, not as i note, only telecoms and a few sms players
like mobile planet.
As i write this CCK content licensing cannot hinder a locally placed individual to distribute sms messaging (on the internet), anonymously if need be, as long as they know or have a database of local recipients. You cannot control
what is originating from the internet.
For all other telecoms except safaricom it is still possible to configure the source to show the message is
originating locally.
But with safaricom, while still the sms will be dispatched to the recipient (note the telecoms have no way
of blocking incoming communication), the sms will be delivered with an internationally encoded telephone
number eg +44 from uk making the sms obviously not a credible source of content for the local recepient .
4.Not only do i urge CCK to involve the wider ICT industry (that is don't limit to communication) but to deploy
ICT experts within your ranks because there is rapid ongoing developments in ICT industry and
inability to know what is going on will only result in impediments and growth of ICT sector.
Is CCK prepared for example for the router based communication that taking shape in the ICTindustry?
There is good possibility soon the entire telecommunication industry will get absorbed by ICT
since now it is possible for internationally connected offices to run an "extension" like telephony
through the internet. The growth of services like skype that do not need telecoms
will only grow more. Meaning making the work of telecom industry obsolete.
Right now there are very many nationally and internationally beneficial and ongoing projects to use bulk sms
services such
a) general authentication for banking accounts
b) authentication of online accounts for customers and suppliers
c) Health tracking such as daily reminders to take HIV antiretroviral medication
d) Polling and voting sessions
and a thousand few more.
There is a need to have the very best technical capacities not only regulating and controlling
but actually aiding and helping these technologies to grow and offer a national benefit to the populace.
I do acknowledge the challenges that technology brings our way but i believe we have a
a duty to use such technology to place our nation ahead of the pack. With technology countries that
had nothing are now capable of being the best internationally.
Peter Kamakia
Mitambo ICT company
P.O.Box 25365-00100
Nairobi
Tel:0720219320
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