New anti-SIM swapping rules unveiled by FCC

New regulations have been introduced by the Federal Communications Commission to better protect consumers against increasingly prevalent SIM swapping attacks, reports BleepingComputer. Aside from requiring wireless service providers to adopt secure authentication prior to conducting phone number transfers to another device or provider, the updated rules also mandate immediate customer alerts in the event of any SIM change or port-out request. Wireless service providers have also been compelled to implement additional customer protections against SIM swapping and port-out fraud. "We also revise our customer proprietary network information and local number portability rules to make it harder for scam artists to make requests that get them access to your sensitive subscriber information," said FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel. Such rules come after the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center reported receiving 2,026 SIM swapping attack complaints resulting in over $72.6 million in losses last year, compared with the 320 complaints amounting to $12 million in losses from January 2018 to December 2020.