What is Flash SMS? How Does It Compare to Push Notifications?

In the ever-evolving world of communication, businesses and individuals are always seeking innovative ways to grab attention and convey important information. Enter Flash SMS, a unique messaging tool that combines attention-grabbing immediacy with a layer of confidentiality. But what exactly is Flash SMS, and how does it work? Let’s dive in and explore this communication method.

Short Summary

  • Flash SMS is a secure communication method that bypasses the inbox and appears directly on the recipient’s device screen.
  • It provides an attention-grabbing way to send urgent, confidential or time sensitive messages.
  • Best practices for using Flash SMS include targeting the right audience and considering timing and frequency.

Understanding Flash SMS

Flash SMS is a type of message that has a unique characteristic: it appears directly on the recipient’s phone screen without being stored in the device’s memory. This makes Flash SMS particularly engaging and secure, as it allows the sender to instantly catch the recipient’s attention and convey sensitive information without being stored in the device’s SMS inbox.

The origin of Flash SMS dates back to the late 90s, but it never gained widespread popularity due to security concerns and limited use cases. However, with the increasing reliance on mobile phones for communication, Flash SMS has found its niche in situations that require immediate attention and confidentiality.

What is Flash SMS?

A Flash SMS message, also known as a Class 0 SMS, is a priority message that appears directly on the recipient’s mobile phone lock screen or home screen without any user interaction. This means that the recipient does not need to open their SMS inbox to view the message, as it will pop up on their screen as soon as it is received. Unlike regular text messages, Flash SMS messages are not stored on the recipient’s device, making them an excellent choice for sending sensitive information or urgent alerts.

To send a Flash SMS, the sender must configure their message with a specific message class, usually Class 0. This class ensures that the message is treated as a Flash SMS by the recipient’s mobile phone, bypassing the standard SMS inbox and appearing directly on the device’s screen. The sender’s identity, or Sender ID, may not be displayed with the message, so it’s essential to include the sender’s name in the content of the message.

History of Flash SMS

Introduced in the late 90s, Flash SMS was initially developed as a means of quickly sending information directly to a recipient’s mobile screen. However, due to security concerns and a limited number of practical applications, it never gained widespread popularity.

Despite its limited adoption, Flash SMS has remained a niche communication tool, particularly for situations that require the immediate attention of the recipient. Its unique ability to bypass the SMS inbox and appear directly on the recipient’s screen has made it a valuable tool in specific use cases where immediacy and confidentiality are paramount.

How Flash SMS Works

The process of sending and receiving Flash SMS is quite simple, but requires the involvement of an SMS provider or hardware SMS gateway device that supports this type of message. To send a Flash SMS, the sender must configure their message with a specific message class, typically Class 0, and enter the necessary message details, including the recipient’s phone number and the message content.

When a recipient receives a Flash SMS, it appears directly on their phone screen, bypassing the device’s notification center. It’s crucial for the recipient to read and act upon the message immediately, as dismissing the message will cause it to disappear without being stored on the device.

Receiving Flash SMS

Upon receiving a Flash SMS, the message will be displayed directly on the recipient’s mobile device screen, regardless of whether the device is locked or in use, even on Android devices (depending on the device). It is essential for the recipient to promptly read and act on the message, as it will be removed from the screen if dismissed and will not be stored on the device.

This unique characteristic of flash messages, specifically Flash SMS, makes it particularly useful for situations that require immediate attention and action from the recipient, such as emergency alerts or time-sensitive information. In these scenarios, flash SMS work effectively to convey crucial information.

Advantages of Flash SMS

Flash SMS offers several benefits over traditional SMS, making it an attractive option for businesses and individuals looking for more engaging and secure communication methods. Two key advantages include its attention-grabbing nature and the added layer of confidentiality it provides by not being stored on the recipient’s device.

These benefits make Flash SMS an excellent choice for sending:

  • Urgent or important messages that require immediate attention and action from the recipient
  • Emergency alerts
  • Confidential information

Attention-Grabbing

One of the most significant advantages of Flash SMS is its ability to capture the recipient’s attention immediately. By bypassing the notification center and appearing directly on the recipient’s screen, Flash SMS stands out from regular text messages and ensures that the message is not overlooked.

This attention-grabbing quality makes Flash SMS particularly effective for sending marketing messages, promotions, or other relevant content that requires immediate action from the recipient. By ensuring that the message is seen and read promptly, Flash SMS can help drive engagement and increase the likelihood of a positive response.

Confidentiality

Another notable advantage of Flash SMS is the level of confidentiality it provides. Since Flash SMS messages are not stored on the recipient’s device, they are not visible to other parties who may have access to the device.

This makes Flash SMS an ideal communication method for sending sensitive information or emergency alerts that should only be seen by the intended recipient. By ensuring that the message is only displayed on the recipient’s screen and not stored on their device, Flash SMS provides a level of privacy and security that is not available with traditional SMS.

Flash SMS vs. Push Notifications

Both Flash SMS and push notifications are methods of communication designed to grab attention and deliver important information to recipients. While they share some similarities, such as appearing on the recipient’s screen, they also have distinct differences and use cases.

To determine which communication method is best suited for a particular purpose, it’s essential to understand the key differences between Flash SMS and push notifications and weigh the benefits and limitations of each.

Similarities and Differences

The primary similarity between Flash SMS and push notifications is that both types of messages appear on the recipient’s screen without requiring any user interaction. This ensures that the message is seen and read promptly, increasing the likelihood of a positive response.

However, there are some key differences between the two communication methods. While Flash SMS messages are supported by almost all phones and work in remote areas with poor signal quality, push notifications require additional installation of communication app and require cellular Internet on the recipient phone. This makes Flash SMS more universal and available for anyone with a phone.

Choosing the Right Communication Method

Selecting the appropriate communication method depends on several factors, including the target audience, the content of the message, and the desired level of confidentiality. Flash SMS may be the preferred choice for situations that require immediate attention and a high level of confidentiality, such as emergency alerts or sensitive information.

In contrast, mobile push notifications can be used for marketing messages, app updates, or personalized notifications. To make the most of these features, it’s important to enable push notifications in your push notification campaigns. Implementing a well-planned push notification strategy can offer the advantage of being able to target a larger audience and provide more customization options, making push notification a marketing communication tool.

Summary

In conclusion, Flash SMS is a unique and powerful communication tool that offers several advantages over traditional SMS, including its attention-grabbing nature and added layer of confidentiality. Unlike push notifications tt doesn’t require installation of additional apps making it more universal. By understanding the differences between Flash SMS and push notifications, businesses and individuals can choose the appropriate communication method for their specific needs and ensure that their messages are seen, read, and acted upon by the intended recipients.

Frequently Asked Questions

I received a flash SMS because it is designed to deliver important messages like emergency warnings.

It is designed to be quick and easy to read, so that the recipient can take action quickly. It also helps to ensure that the message is not lost in a sea of other emails or text messages.

How do you send flash text messages?

You may use a SMSEagle Hardware SMS Gateway to send flash text messages. Flash SMS can be sent via web-GUI or API.

Can Flash SMS be used for marketing purposes?

Yes, Flash SMS can be used for marketing purposes, as they are great for messages that require immediate attention and action.

Are Flash SMS messages stored on the recipient’s device?

Flash SMS messages are by default not stored on the recipient’s device, providing a level of confidentiality for the user.

This makes them a great choice for sending sensitive information, such as passwords or one-time codes.

Create the right solution for your operation

Your obstacles are unique, and the solutions for them should be too. The functions of SMSEagle allow any business to incorporate SMS communications into their systems in a way that makes sense to them. To find out how SMSEagle will allow you to create the solution you need, get in touch with our team.

Jak skonfigurować alerty dla urządzenia UPS?

W dzisiejszych czasach niezawodne zasilanie jest kluczowym elementem zapewniającym ciągłość pracy wielu urządzeń. Bez nieprzerwanego zasilania wiele firm, instytucji i użytkowników prywatnych nie byłoby w stanie funkcjonować. Dlatego coraz więcej osób decyduje się na zakup urządzenia, które zapewni im nieprzerwane zasilanie – Uninterruptible Power Supply, czyli UPS.

Jednak posiadanie UPS-a to jedno, a monitorowanie jego stanu to zupełnie inna sprawa. Jak zatem skonfigurować powiadomienia o stanie/przełączeniu na zasilanie bateryjne dla UPS? Istnieją trzy podstawowe sposoby odczytywania stanu z urządzenia UPS:

  • Styk bezpotencjałowy (zwierny)
  • Protokół SNMP
  • Powiadomienia e-mailowe

Styk bezpotencjałowy

Styk bezpotencjałowy (ang. dry contact) to wyjście w urządzeniu UPS, za pomocą którego urządzenie wysyła sygnał do systemu zewnętrznego (np. systemu alarmowego, centrum sterowania, bramki SMS) w momencie zmiany stanu, (np. przełączenia zasilania z sieci elektrycznej na bateryjne). Sygnałem jest zazwyczaj prosta zmiana stanu z obwodu otwartego na zamknięty na tym wyjściu. Zmiana stanu pozwala na szybkie powiadomienie o braku zasilania, ale do przetworzenia takiego sygnału wymagany jest układ zewnętrzny.

Monitorowanie SNMP i pułapki SNMP

Drugą metodą jest monitorowanie SNMP lub pułapki SNMP (ang. SNMP traps). Protokół SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) umożliwia monitorowanie różnych urządzeń sieciowych. Jeśli urządzenie UPS jest wyposażone w funkcję SNMP, można monitorować jego stan za pomocą zewnętrznego oprogramowania monitorującego (na przykład Network Monitoring System). W przypadku monitorowania SNMP zewnętrzny system okresowo pyta urządzenie UPS o jego status. Z kolei pułapki SNMP pozwalają zasilaczowi UPS wysyłać do systemu informacje SNMP przy każdej zmianie jego statusu. Urządzenie UPS musi być wyposażone w kartę interfejsu sieciowego (NIC), aby skorzystać z tego rozwiązania.

Alerty e-mailowe

Ostatnią metodą są alerty e-mailowe. W takim przypadku UPS wysyła powiadomienie e-mail o zmianie stanu. Na urządzeniu UPS należy skonfigurować serwer SMTP, który służy do wysyłania wiadomości e-mail do wybranej skrzynki mailowej. Urządzenie UPS musi być wyposażone w kartę interfejsu sieciowego (NIC), aby można było korzystać z alertów Email.

Jak zapewnić szybką i skuteczną reakcję na awarie?

Jednak bez względu na to, która metoda zostanie zastosowana, aby jeszcze bardziej ułatwić przekazanie krytycznej informacji o zaniku zasilania z UPS, powinna ona zostać odebrana przez zespół reagujący w szybki i niezawodny sposób. Zapewni to, że informacje nie zostaną utracone lub utkną wśród wielu innych aktualizacji statusów w infrastrukturze IT. Krytyczne informacje z urządzenia UPS mogą być zarządzane w ramach systemu monitorowania sieci (NMS). Inną ciekawą i łatwą alternatywą jest zastosowanie sprzętowej bramki SMS. SMS gwarantuje natychmiastową dostarczalność i oferuje kanał dostępny dla każdego. Dzięki integracji sprzętowej bramki SMS z zasilaczem UPS, administrator może otrzymać powiadomienie w formie SMS-a o wyłączeniu/włączeniu UPS-a lub zmianie jego statusu.

SMSEagle jest przykładem sprzętowej bramki SMS, która oferuje szybką integrację z urządzeniami UPS. Integracja z SMSEagle może być łatwo wykonana zarówno poprzez:

Użytkownicy APC UPS mogą również skorzystać z dokładnie opisanej instrukcji integracji SMS dla APC.

Stwórz właściwe rozwiązanie dla Twojej firmy!

Urządzenia SMSEagle pozwalają firmom na włączenie komunikacji SMS do swoich systemów w szybki i prosty sposób. Aby dowiedzieć się, jak to zrobić, skontaktuj się z naszym zespołem.

Otwierając drzwi do inteligentnych systemów zarządzania budynkiem z alarmami i powiadomieniami opartymi na SMS-ach

Niezależnie od tego, czy jest to centralny wieżowiec korporacyjny, sieć punktów sprzedaży detalicznej, czy flota zdalnych magazynów, utrzymanie łączności z budynkami przedsiębiorstwa poprzez efektywne monitorowanie i kontrolowanie nigdy nie było tak istotne dla zapewnienia bezpieczeństwa, odporności i wydajności codziennych operacji przedsiębiorstw. Zwłaszcza systemy zarządzania budynkami (BMS) przeszły długą drogę w rozwiązywaniu tego problemu dzięki możliwości ciągłej regulacji środowiska, wykrywania zagrożeń bezpieczeństwa i zapobiegania katastrofom, a także optymalizacji zrównoważonego rozwoju i monitorowania pracowników.

Łączenie budynków poprzez SMS

Wiele aplikacji BMS jest hostowanych w chmurze. Dostarczanie alertów za pomocą tych aplikacji wymaga połączenia z Internetem. Może to jednak stanowić poważne zagrożenie dla niezawodnego dostarczania takich ostrzeżeń, ponieważ łączność ostatniej mili może być zakłócana przez same wydarzenia, o których aplikacje mają ostrzegać, lub może być czasowo niedostępna z powodu zwykłych przestojów lub problemów z wydajnością.

Istnieje również szereg systemów BMS, które ze względów bezpieczeństwa są hostowane w środowiskach offline. W czasach nasilających się cyberataków środowisko offline zapewnia znacznie wyższy poziom bezpieczeństwa. Ale jak w takim scenariuszu osiągnąć właściwy poziom alertów i powiadomień?

W takich scenariuszach efektywne systemy monitorowania i powiadamiania mogą stanowić ogromną różnicę. Rozwiązania komunikacyjne oparte na SMS-ach, takie jak SMSEagle SMS/MMS Gateway, mogą przekazywać alerty z serwera BMS na telefony komórkowe odbiorców, bezpośrednio do operatorów komórkowych 3G/4G, bez dostępu do Internetu.

Sprawozdania z sali

Systemy alarmowe oparte na SMS-ach mogą być wykorzystywane do wspierania regulacji środowiska budynku. Na przykład centrum danych musi działać w minimalnych temperaturach. Wykrycie zmian w tym i innych parametrach, takich jak przepływ powietrza czy poziom wilgotności, wyzwala alarmy z czujników do lokalnie rozmieszczonego serwera BMS. Alerty te są automatycznie przekazywane do SMSEagle SMS/MMS Gateway, gdzie są konwertowane na wiadomości SMS i wysyłane przez zwykłą sieć komórkową do zamierzonych odbiorców.

Aplikacje BMS w połączeniu z bramką SMSEagle SMS/MMS mogą w znacznym stopniu przyczynić się do uniknięcia zagrożeń takich jak pożary czy powodzie. Dzięki zainstalowaniu w kluczowych miejscach czujników dymu lub wody, po wykryciu zbliżającej się katastrofy, alerty mogą być wysyłane w czasie rzeczywistym do serwera BMS i na bramkę. Plugin integracyjny SMSEagle z AVTECH Room Alert, lub Schneider StruxureWare, może być na przykład skonfigurowany tak, aby omijał serwery poczty elektronicznej i wysyłał alarmy z czujników przewodowych bezpośrednio do bramki, co powoduje, że praktycznie nie ma punktów awarii. Jest to szczególnie ważne podczas katastrof takich jak trzęsienia ziemi czy huragany, które często powodują brak dostępu do Internetu.

Zagrożenia bezpieczeństwa, takie jak kradzież, sabotaż czy szpiegostwo, muszą dotrzeć do uwagi pracowników ochrony w czasie rzeczywistym, aby można było zminimalizować straty. Wtyczka integracyjna SMSEagle z aplikacją BMS, taką jak Schneider EcoStruxure™ Security Expert, umożliwia wgląd we wszystkie główne punkty monitorowania, od uwierzytelniania wejścia w windach po kamery rozpoznające tablice rejestracyjne, z których wszystkie są połączone z serwerem BMS poprzez sieć lokalną przedsiębiorstwa. Z tego miejsca alerty o wykryciu zagrożenia mogą być natychmiast wysyłane do odpowiednich stron.

Umożliwianie inteligentnych budynków

Istnieje wielu dostawców systemów BMS bezpieczeństwa o zasięgu światowym. Na przykład, Johnson Controls, wiodący dostawca systemów bezpieczeństwa BMS, wybrał SMSEagle SMS Gateway(patrz Case Study), gdy potrzebował zapewnić swojemu klientowi zlokalizowany system ostrzegania w regionie LATAM. Wykorzystując lokalną kartę SIM i oferując bezproblemową łączność z dowolną siecią 2G, 3G lub 4G na całym świecie, brama zapewniła klientowi oszczędności i umożliwiła monitorowanie wszystkich jego obiektów na całym świecie.

Od zapobiegania stratom energii elektrycznej do zapewnienia natychmiastowej reakcji na alarmy pożarowe, komunikacja oparta na SMS przy użyciu sprzętowej bramy SMS stanowi doskonałą alternatywę dla zabezpieczenia i utrzymania zarządzania współczesnymi połączonymi budynkami.

Create the right solution for your operation

Your obstacles are unique, and the solutions for them should be too. The functions of SMSEagle allow BMS to incorporate SMS alerts and notifications into their systems in a way that makes sense to them. To find out how SMSEagle will allow you to create the solution you need, get in touch with our team.

W szybkim tempie: Przyspieszenie komunikacji zarządzania flotą za pomocą SMS-ów

Branża zarządzania flotą ma rosnąć w tempie 18,3% CAGR od 2022 roku, aby osiągnąć 67,38 mld USD w 2029 roku. Postępy w komunikacji w czasie rzeczywistym, w połączeniu z udoskonalonymi aplikacjami w chmurze sprawiają, że zarządzanie flotą staje się kluczową funkcją w takich branżach jak logistyka, ubezpieczenia, motoryzacja, usługi terenowe i górnictwo.

SMS: Potężna alternatywa dla łączności danych

Podczas gdy zarządzanie flotą zwykle obraca się wokół aplikacji w chmurze i łączności internetowej, istnieje rosnące zapotrzebowanie na alternatywne środki komunikacji dla systemów zarządzania flotą, w przypadkach, gdy łączność z danymi nie jest łatwo dostępna i gdy natychmiastowa reakcja jest krytyczna. W tym miejscu do gry wchodzi rozwiązanie oparte na SMS-ach, takie jak SMSEagle SMS/MMS Gateway. Rozwiązanie oferuje bezproblemową łączność z sieciami 2G, 3G i 4G na całym świecie i jest wyposażone w bogate funkcje, w tym integrację z pocztą elektroniczną, obsługę oddzwaniania, przekierowanie SMS, automatyczną odpowiedź, failover i obsługę MMS.

W przeciwieństwie do bramek SMS w chmurze, które są zależne od Internetu, bramka SMSEagle umożliwia przekazywanie informacji z pojazdów, kierowców i ładunków do odpowiednich interesariuszy niezawodnie, w dowolnym czasie i w dowolnym miejscu za pośrednictwem jednego, dedykowanego sprzętu. Jest to szczególnie krytyczne w sytuacjach, które wymagają działań w czasie rzeczywistym od reagujących zespołów. Dzięki wykorzystaniu lokalnej karty SIM, SMSEagle zapewnia opłacalną metodę utrzymywania stałej łączności całej floty, interesariuszy i aplikacji w chmurze.

Usprawnienie komunikacji floty w czasie rzeczywistym za pomocą SMS

Od konserwacji regularnej po prewencyjną, właściciele flot mogą zaprogramować swoje urządzenie telematyczne tak, aby uruchamiało SMS-y w czasie rzeczywistym za każdym razem, gdy przekroczone zostaną progi konserwacji. Progi te obejmują awarie komponentów, ograniczenia temperatury i prędkości. SMSEagle SMS/MMS Gateway umożliwia natychmiastowy dostęp do tych informacji w sieci LAN przedsiębiorstwa, w tym do wiadomości o niepokoju kierowcy, niezależnie od łączności z Internetem. Dzięki temu zespoły konserwatorów i ratowników mogą być odpowiednio informowane o wszelkich zbliżających się zdarzeniach. Dzięki wykorzystaniu bramy, instrukcje i alarmy mogą być przekazywane w odpowiednim czasie do jednostki telematycznej i pracowników terenowych, a także na tablicę rozdzielczą kierowcy.

Bramka SMSEagle może być również wykorzystywana do wysyłania spersonalizowanych, osobistych przypomnień i powiadomień dla kierowców. Aby monitorować zachowanie kierowcy i zapewnić przestrzeganie zasad bezpieczeństwa, rejestratory wideo w kabinie lub czujniki można zaprogramować tak, aby inicjowały wysyłanie wiadomości SMS o zagrożeniu w przypadku wykrycia nieprawidłowych, nieostrożnych lub niebezpiecznych manewrów. Komunikaty alarmowe przekazywane za pośrednictwem bramki SMSEagle mogą zawierać filmy i obrazy w celu łatwiejszego monitorowania i egzekwowania.

W zakresie zarządzania ładunkiem, urządzenie monitorujące ładunek wyposażone w lokalną kartę SIM może wysyłać informacje zebrane przez swoje czujniki temperatury, ruchu i wibracji za pomocą automatycznych SMS-ów do bramki SMSEagle. Menedżer floty z dostępem do bramy jest w stanie pobrać informacje do swoich systemów i wykorzystać te dane do monitorowania stanu i lokalizacji ładunku, a także postępów w realizacji każdej przesyłki.

Jeśli chodzi o

Przy zarządzaniu flotą, które w coraz większym stopniu obejmuje większe floty i szersze granice geograficzne, potrzeba niezawodnej komunikacji floty i zautomatyzowanych mechanizmów ostrzegania nigdy nie była tak istotna. SMSEagle SMS/MMS Gateway można wdrożyć jako podstawowy lub zapasowy kanał komunikacyjny, który jest wysoce ekonomiczny i oszczędny pod względem wymagań systemowych, i który może bezpiecznie i niezawodnie śledzić każdą flotę w każdej lokalizacji.

Create the right solution for your operation

Your obstacles are unique, and the solutions for them should be too. The functions of SMSEagle allow fleet management industry to incorporate SMS communications into their systems in a way that makes sense to them. To find out how SMSEagle will allow you to create the solution you need, get in touch with our team.

Korzyści z otrzymywania powiadomień SMS od czujników temperatury

Powszechne wykorzystanie technologii doprowadziło do powstania różnego rodzaju innowacyjnych aplikacji w niemal wszystkich dziedzinach. Jednym z tych postępów są czujniki temperatury, które określają stopień gorąca lub chłodu i przekształcają go w czytelną jednostkę, która może być dalej wysyłana do zainteresowanych odbiorców za pomocą SMS, co pomaga w monitorowaniu awarii lub wczesnym alarmowaniu.

Aplikacje medyczne, monitorowanie żywności, pakowanie, obsługa petrochemiczna, monitorowanie samochodów, badania biologiczne, badania geologiczne, systemy HVAC i elektronika użytkowa, czujniki temperatury odgrywają kluczową rolę we wszystkich tych dziedzinach.

Oprócz pomiaru optymalnego poziomu ciepła i wilgotności, wiele czujników temperatury działa jako prewencyjne systemy ostrzegawcze, które określają, czy istnieje zbliżające się ryzyko lub usterka. Wykrywanie przegrzania odgrywa kluczową rolę w tych systemach, chroniąc przed poważnymi katastrofami, takimi jak pożar. Czujniki temperatury, które są obecnie niedrogie i łatwe w użyciu, mogą okazać się bardzo skuteczne we wczesnym alarmowaniu i zapobieganiu.

Istnieje wiele czujników temperatury, ale powszechnie dzieli się je na kontaktowe i bezkontaktowe czujniki temperatury.

Czujniki kontaktowe to takie, które mają bezpośredni kontakt z obiektem, który mają mierzyć i należą do nich termistory termopary, termostaty, termistory, rezystancyjne czujniki temperatury (RTD). Czujniki oparte na półprzewodnikach również należą do tej kategorii.

Bezkontaktowe czujniki temperatury mierzą promieniowanie cieplne. Są one często stosowane w niebezpiecznych środowiskach, takich jak elektrownie jądrowe czy elektrociepłownie. Kilka przykładów: Pirometry optyczne, termometry radiacyjne, termowizory i czujniki światłowodowe.

Czujniki te, w połączeniu z zewnętrznymi systemami ostrzegającymi o przekroczeniu progów, mogą wysyłać do podłączonych urządzeń alarmy, np. w postaci SMS-ów, o poziomie temperatury. Wszelkie niepożądane działania mogą być więc łatwo wychwycone za pośrednictwem tych wiadomości.

Alerty automatyczne:

Dzięki tym komunikatom można wykryć nietypowo wysokie i niskie temperatury. Dzięki temu można śledzić prawidłowe funkcjonowanie urządzeń. Każda niewielka zmiana temperatury uruchamia powiadomienie o jej wzroście lub spadku. Można podjąć odpowiednie działania obniżając lub podnosząc temperaturę poprzez zdalne sterowanie lub informując odpowiednie urzędy.

Regularny monitoring:

Regularny monitoring może pomóc w wykryciu nieprawidłowości i łatwym odwzorowaniu wzorców użytkowania. Dzięki regularnym aktualizacjom nie ma potrzeby ręcznego sprawdzania temperatury w obiekcie, jednostce lub urządzeniu.

Wniosek

Czujniki temperatury pomagają zwiększyć wydajność i bezpieczeństwo poprzez monitorowanie i śledzenie poziomów temperatury w wielu branżach. W połączeniu z szybkimi alarmami i powiadomieniami, czujniki są ratunkiem w niebezpiecznych środowiskach. Pomagają również w skutecznym utrzymaniu urządzeń i obiektów.

Urządzenia SMSEagle serii NXS mogą być łatwo wyposażone w zewnętrzne
czujniki temperatury
Pozwala to na wykorzystanie ich zalet w szybkim powiadamianiu o problemach poprzez SMS. Aplikacja SMSEagle pozwala na ustawienie automatycznych alarmów dla czujników oraz zapewnia regularne monitorowanie temperatury otoczenia poprzez historyczny wykres temperatury.

Create the right solution for your operation

Your obstacles are unique, and the solutions for them should be too. The functions of SMSEagle allow companies to incorporate SMS alerts and notifications into their systems in a way that makes sense to them. To find out how SMSEagle will allow you to create the solution you need, get in touch with our team.

SMS Gateways: Alarms and Notifications for Offline Environments

As the news of 5G towers are surfacing, we are leaving old technology like pagers and SMS far behind in the past. But with these rapid developments rise concerns about privacy and security. And surprisingly, the answer to these concerns sometimes is not more advanced tech, but a return to our technological roots with intention.

In this piece, we shall look at the need for notification systems in High Availability Offline Environments and why SMS Gateway services can be the answer.

Monitoring High Availability Offline Environments

High-Availability (HA) environments are well-tested and strongly equipped systems that are dependable enough to operate continuously without failing. These environments focus on avoiding single points of failure and ensure that their application continues to process requests.

In these high availability systems, effective monitoring and notification systems can make huge differences. For example, during situations of connective scarcity, effective management of notifications is crucial, as these alerts can often be the difference between solving the crisis and suffering extreme losses. Or during unforeseen malfunctions that run the risk of interrupting the business-critical application processes, notifications and alerts become extremely important as a lack of rapid recovery will lead to a snowball effect and harm the HA environment.

These notifications and alerts are usually in the form of push notifications, that is, notifications via mobile app, phone call, email, and SMS.

But for offline environments, the narrative is a little different. Offline environments may develop due to different causes, the most common ones being cutting off the internet due to security measures or internet inaccessibility due to the nature of the location.

Despite the offline nature of said systems, aiming to keep a High Availability environment is often the priority. As discussed earlier, notification and alert systems in high availability systems play a significant role. Most of these push notification features get bottlenecked when the systems are offline, except for two – Calls, and SMS.

What are Hardware SMS Gateways and How Do They Work?

When all the other ways of communicating effectively among peers are blocked in Offline Environments, only SMS and phone calls remain. And this is where hardware SMS gateway devices come in.

An SMS gateway is an interface that allows users to send SMS without phones. Hardware SMS gateways offer a direct connection to 3G/4G cellular operators, without Internet.

How it works? To send and receive text messages, hardware SMS gateway must obtain a connection to a short message service centre (SMSC) which is a special server inside a cellular network. In 4G LTE (packet-based all-IP) network SMS is encapsulated in a SIP message and carried over IMS core network to SMSC. In 3G UMTS network SMS is sent using the SRB (Signaling Radio Bearers). In both cases these are internal connections only within a cellular network. When a text message is received in short message service centre (SMSC) it is forwarded to its intended address via cellular network core. SMSCs are responsible for routing text messages and regulating the messaging process. If the recipient is unavailable (for example, when the mobile phone does not have network access), the SMSC stores the SMS message and then forwards it when the receiver is available.

Hardware SMS Gateways As The Solution

Hardware SMS Gateways are the most opted-for solution in High Availability Offline Environments as a communication system. Here are some of the reasons why:

  • communication access via a cellular network (WITHOUT the Internet),
  • on-premise installation that allows complete data confidentiality
  • high reliability,
  • remote accessibility

Hardware SMS gateway devices continue to be a feasible and secure solution to offline workplace disruptions.

SMSEagle provides world-proven and dependable devices as hardware SMS/MMS Gateway manufacturer. SMSEagle devices are easily configured and managed via a web browser, are easily integrated via integration plugins or API . SMSEagle’s Network Monitoring feature may be also used to you conserve your high availability in a small scale.

Enable IoT with SMS

According to Statista, the number of IoT (Internet of Things) devices connected worldwide will jump to 30.9 billion units by 2025—significantly more than the 13.8 billion units forecast for 2021—as connected cars, smart home devices, and connected industrial equipment become the norm. With the number of networked sensors increasing in all areas of our lives, we’re enabling automated, real-time interactions between assets, machines, systems, and things.

But like everything else in business, turning information into actionable insights depends on fast, reliable communication. That’s why SMS is essential for enabling IoT.

Why is SMS the right choice for IoT?

SMS is the ideal communications mechanism for IoT because it includes five essential characteristics:

  1. Global coverage: Stable 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks reach every corner of the earth, including areas with unreliable—or no—Internet coverage.
  2. High deliverability: SMS traffic has close to 100% delivery rates—especially if you use a reliable SMS platform like SMSEagle.
  3. Secure: Send information bypassing third-party providers with full data confidentiality.
  4. Cost-effective: IoT employs bulk SMS messaging to send data, which can be extremely cost-efficient when using the right provider.
  5. Reliable: Essential for IoT, SMS delivers notifications promptly and reliably. Even in the event of a power outage or when mobile data is switched off, an SMS message will still reach its destination.
  6. Power-efficient: Eliminating the need for a permanent connection and requiring little power, SMS extends the battery life on IIoT (Industrial IoT) devices from weeks or months to years.

Irrespective of whether an alert needs to reach a computer, human, or another machine, SMS is the best choice for every scenario. It is the only communications channel that works on every cellular device and every network.

Deploying SMS to enable IoT in factories and intelligent buildings

Here are two examples of how SMS is enabling IoT:

  • Factories: IoT devices monitor equipment via digital inputs and outputs, sending time-sensitive alerts about changes in environment or equipment characteristics such as power, security, and temperature. As noted in the IoT Agenda, SMS is already used in existing IoT systems to wake up a device and put it into transmission mode. However, SMS can also be used as an efficient data transport for sending configuration updates or managing a device’s power supply so it can collect and store data while extending battery life.
  • Smart Buildings: IoT devices monitor environmental conditions and mechanisms, sending infrastructure failure alerts to Building Management Systems (BMS). Integrating IoT with BMW and SMS allows facilities managers to receive alerts through multiple channels simultaneously—including alarm systems, building intercoms, and messaging systems—and communicate with occupants and technicians, receiving and sending updates to ensure the safety of tenants and visitors.

IoT and IIoT are enabling the future, and SMS plays an essential role in ensuring affordable, reliable communications. Whether you’re responsible for managing facilities or manufacturing equipment, using SMS to enable automation offers ubiquitous and pervasive coverage for fostering innovation. And you can deploy it today in over 200 countries with access to more than 93% of the world’s population—out of the box.

About SMSEagle

SMSEagle is a leading global brand of SMS gateway hardware supporting. Designed for reliability and easy integration with existing systems, SMSEagle supports bi-directional SMS communications via your web browser, email system, or an API. It also converts email messages to SMS and can send SMS alerts from network and security monitoring systems and SMS tokens from authentication systems. For more information, visit smseagle.eu.

Create the right solution for your operation

Your obstacles are unique, and the solutions for them should be too. The functions of SMSEagle allow businesses to incorporate SMS communications into their systems in a way that makes sense to them. To find out how SMSEagle will allow you to create the solution you need, get in touch with our team.

Network Security Essentials: A Checklist for your Business

I hardly need to labour the point that network security is essential in an age where companies of all sizes are hacked. Hardly a week goes by without data breach headlines in the mainstream media. 2021 is so exception so far, with high-profile hacks including LinkedIn, Parler (an almost complete website scraping in this case), Mimecast, U.S. Cellular and many more. The reasons for these successful breaches, which compromised the data and privacy of clients, ranged from targeted attacked, exploits on misconfigured cloud services and unsecured data to malware injection and scamming. Many of these data breaches could have been prevented. It makes you wonder why, in 2021, companies (large and small) are still so careless and cavalier with important client data, especially when you consider that lack of IT personnel or funds is not an issue for the global giants. Didn’t these companies have a simple checklist or basic code of practice for network security? Remember to protect all client data as if it were your own data by using encryption, authenticated access and any other precaution possible. Consider the following an overview or starting point for creating your own checklist.

The Basics

Let’s assume, as many do, that larger companies have a handle on the basic elements of network security. Firewalls are configured correctly. Administrators have a full list of their hardware and software and all security updates and patches are installed promptly. They have a robust backup procedure that ensures prompt restoration of company data even after a ransomware attack. Brilliant! Now what?

Despite the naysayers, password management is still an issue and not due to password length, authentication method or complexity but instead due to longevity i.e., passwords are in use too long without being changed.

Employees will also log into personal solutions during office hours and if part of a BYOD policy, ALL will have devices approved and with OS versions approved by IT? Again, let’s assume enterprises have no flaws in all these areas, despite almost daily reports of data breaches. Enterprise-level solutions seek to address more advanced problems…

SIEM, NGF and User Error Prevention

Modern network security is aimed at identifying emerging threats and reducing the impact of human error (which is still the biggest threat to your data). In fact, a recent joint study from Stanford University and Tessian indicates that 88% of all data breaches are caused by employee error. The Blame Game is not the solution here as the study also points out that “Your employees are focused on the job you hired them to do and when faced with to-do lists, distractions, and pressure to get things done quickly, cognitive loads become overwhelming and mistakes can happen.”

Therefore, recognising that security awareness training is not the entire solution and that employees are not cybersecurity experts, companies must use technology to help with the problem. While classified as enterprise solutions, most of them are available to smaller companies, whether it’s next-generation firewalls (NGFWs), analytics-driven security information and event management (SIEM) or remote solutions offered as-a-service. All companies should perform a risk assessment and identify their greatest threats to network and data security, then and then arranging a trial of available solutions.

Even a brief look at NGFWs will confirm they are a key step in enhancing cybersecurity, including basic firewall function with several additional benefits. These include intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), application awareness from Layer 2 to 7, reduced infrastructure footprint, and antivirus and malware protection. Finally, NGFWs do not affect your network speed. Surely, a worthy purchase that can help reduce user errors by blocking threats?

Email & Internet

Your anti-malware solution (if not part of a NGFW) must scan incoming emails and monitor internet traffic. Companies need to decide if they prefer to only allow certain websites (based on a whitelist) or block some (based on another list). Whatever you decide, security (and perhaps productivity is the primary consideration). Different companies will have different ideas on this and are free to do so, since company-owned equipment is involved. However, I’d advise against keyloggers, surveillance cameras and the like as they can affect employee morale.

Ransomware and Backups

There is always the possibility of an emerging threat penetrating your firewall and ransomware is the worst of these, requiring that a ransom is paid (and that we ‘trust’ the cybercriminal to act ethically?) or full restoration from clean backups. Therefore, your backup and disaster recovery plans must be fully tested and verified as working before the worst happens. It’s obviously too late when it’s discovered the backup is worthless. Industry practice is to have at least three backups with at least one air-gapped (drives or tapes stored in a fireproof safe, for example). Backup verification is worth emphasising… Ever heard of bit rot? It’s the death of hard drives, SSDs and tapes (all magnetic media, in fact) over time and underlines the need for regular backup or archive verification.

In conclusion, all the above and any additional technological solutions you wish to make to mitigate identified risks should be part of an overall IT policy, outlining security goals with examples and user scenarios where possible. Security is an ongoing task and is constantly evolving as new threats emerge. That is the reason for data backups, penetration tests, encryption and other processes. If BYOD is present, do you have a mobile device management (MDM) solution? An employee has left the company. How long do you wait before disabling the user account and all LAN credentials? How about DHCP? These and other questions are yours to answer when ensuring maximum LAN protection. How will you proceed, or do you already include all these recommendations in your security posture? If so, well done, you’re immediately ahead of many global companies…

4 User Authentication Issues Developers and Admins Struggle With (Solved)

User authentication is how admins and developers like you and I enforce secure access to user accounts. But in the face of increasing cybersecurity concerns, our challenges have grown taller.

Look at the statistics. In the first three quarters of 2018 alone, attackers launched about 1.4 million phishing URLs. As you know, phishing targets a user’s authentication rights and identity.

Meanwhile, in the real world, most people are not taking precautions to secure their accounts. In a study published in 2019, 67 percent of participants do not use two-factor authentication at all for their accounts. Out of those that use 2FA, 55 percent do not use it at work.

This laxity to security puts admins on edge. So this article identifies and provides solutions to some of the problems you face in implementing user authentication for your apps and websites.

1. Getting Users to Set Strong Passwords

The passwords of nine out of every ten employees can be hacked within six hours. And two-thirds of people use the same password for most of their accounts. So imagine a black hat hacker stealing that one password, and it’s the same password for your online banking.

The Problem with Getting Users to Set Strong Passwords

Users worry that they’ll forget their passwords all the time if they use unique passwords for each online account they set up. This fear deters them from following their admins’ suggestions even if they know better.

Most users don’t know that they can safely store passwords on a password manager. So far, it looks like admins haven’t done much in telling users about password managers.

The Solution for Admins and Developers

Tell your users about the dangers of using a single password or repeating passwords. Let them know that a secure password manager like KeePass, LastPass, or others saves them the stress of remembering passwords. These password managers also help them set strong passwords. Teach them how to use browser extensions for password manager of your choice.

2. Encouraging Users to Implement 2FA for Their Accounts

According to a Google Engineer, Grzegorz Milka, more than 90 percent of Gmail users do not use 2FA in their accounts at all. Understandable because most users see it as an extra huddle to accessing their account.

So they avoid it.

Albeit, users still want security. So they’d rather rely on password managers because they make login automatic and require fewer huddles. While a password manager is good, admins must let users know that the more security layers they use, the less likely they’d be hacked.

The Problem with Implementing 2FA

The problem is that most users are not seeing the risk of leaving their email accounts to one authentication mechanism – passwords or passphrases only. Hackers, on the other hand, are looking for accounts with the least resistance to hacking.

The Solution for Admins and Developers

Your job as a developer or admins is to help your users see the risk and understand its costs. So the question comes to “How do I help them see the risk?”

Let them know that attackers might have hacked their accounts already. So having a 2FA in place is a step to stop further compromise even if these hackers compromised their user passwords.

Here’s a case in point. Yahoo had been hacked since 2013 or earlier, but no one noticed until years later in 2017 when the announcement and investigation kicked in. That’s a full four years before people realized they’d been hacked.

Employees need to know that using two-factor authentication puts a demand on the account to notify them, the user, of any unauthorized login attempts.

Secondly, users need to know that they might have been hacked already and may not know it now until later in the future. So setting up a second-factor authentication can help them save their accounts. Security experts say that hackers stole anywhere from 7.5 to 8.5 billion records in 2019 alone.

3. Preventing SMS Spoofing

Hackers understand the power of 2FA, and they’re trying hard to phish their way through that second layer of security. In a study published by Thycotic, 68 percent of black hat hackers said their biggest challenge is multifactor authentication.

Consequently, admins and developers are saddled with the responsibility of helping their users understand and prevent SMS spoofing.

In case SMS spoofing sounds new to you. It’s a phishing technique that hackers use to gain control of their target’s information or devices.

So these hackers would send an SMS message to their targets and making it appear as if the message is coming from a target’s trusted source. A trusted source could be their employer, senior executive, or finance department staff.

For example, a hacker could send SMS messages to your employees that appear to come from you, the admin, asking them to click a link to give some sensitive information. Your employees would click the link, believing the message came from you, and then unknowingly compromise their device, share some sensitive data, or both.

Hackers can use SMS spoofing the same way they use email spoofing,

  1. Collect sensitive information to aid their hacking activities or sell on the dark web
  2. Take control of your device and use that access to perpetuate other hacking or identity theft attacks.

So you want to sensitize your users on how to spot and stop a phishing attempt.

The Problem with Preventing SMS Spoofing

The biggest problem with preventing SMS spoofing is ignorance on the part of system users. Additionally, admins are not investing enough resources in educating their users on how to spot and block these spoofing attempts.

Admin and developers might be underestimating the impact of an attack too, and that’s why they are not investing enough in educating their users about SMS phishing.

The Solution for Admins and Developers

Due to the high-level security that 2FA bestows on users, spoofers are desperate to break that line of defense. As an admin or developer, here are your options for preventing an SMS spoof attack.

Invest in Employee or System User Education

Educate your employees and users to not click on SMS links from unknown sources or that they haven’t verified. Let them take this phishing test.

That spoofing test focuses on email spoofing. But it sensitizes users to pay more attention to the messages they receive. Ultimately, attackers want to deceive you into taking an action that grants them access to your sensitive data or device. Hence you want to train your users on how to spot these deceptions.

Use a Signature Message

Set up a signature that goes with every SMS you send to devalue any phishing attempt immediately. For example, “Prevent SMS spoofing: call the number that sent this SMS.”

This prevention technique works because people who spoof phone numbers don’t own them. Tell your users to hang up and call the number back. When they call, they’ll reach the real holder, not the spoofer.

4. The Social Sign-in Puzzle

In the bid to improve authentication, developers introduced social media sign-in. The idea is that users would sign in to third-party websites and apps using their social media accounts, like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail.

This arrangement is pretty secure. So the problem here isn’t with the security of the process. But the convenience of the user.

The Problem with Social Sign-In

Social sign-in saves users the hassle of creating new passwords. But these users must remember how they signed up for the service. Hence, this authentication often creates issues for users.

Customer Churn Because of Forgotten Authentication Channel

Your users may signup for your service, but since they don’t use it often, they’d forget how they accessed the site. If they have very little to lose, they’d churn and never return to the service.

Loss of Access to User Account After Loss of Social Account

A user may lose access to the social media account they used to sign up. If that happens, they may churn and stop using the service. Even if they don’t churn, users may define this event as a poor customer experience.

Security Concerns

Users may feel unsafe granting third-party apps permissions to their social accounts. This concern may intensify if the app requests access to “control,” “send emails,” or “make posts” on their behalf.

The solution for Admins and Developers

You want to treat the use of social sign-in as an experiment to know how your users find the experience before you discard or adopt it fully. Secondly, admins should provide backup sign-in methods for users in case they lose access to their social accounts.

Developers and admins must provide brief explanations for what they mean when they ask for permission that might deter users from adopting their social sign-in option.

End the Authentication Struggle

Most admins and developers struggle with user authentication because they don’t invest in user security awareness. Users will take more responsibility, the more they understand the risk that comes with being lax with their account security.

In summary, let your users know that

  1. Clicking unfamiliar links or downloading unexpected attachments could expose them to security risks
  2. They shouldn’t take phone calls without confirming the identity of the caller or never give sensitive information over a phone call
  3. If they think their system might be infected or compromised, they should contact an admin

The cost of falling victim to a security exposure outways the cost of preventing it. Hence, you want to invest in prevention, and that includes enforcing 2FA. You also want to test user authentication channels that might improve your security and user authentication experience.


Create the right solution for your operation

Your obstacles are unique, and the solutions for them should be too. The functions of SMSEagle allow businesses to incorporate SMS communications into their systems in a way that makes sense to them. To find out how SMSEagle will allow you to create the solution you need, get in touch with our team.

Password Management —Secure Passwords Essential for User and Business Protection

It’s safe to say that most users rely on hundreds of passwords to access their devices, websites and apps. Few will remember these passwords, unless of course they are in the habit of using the same password for multiple logins–a big security no-no. For years, security pros have emphasised the need for different passwords, as identical passwords make it way too easy for hackers. If they obtain one password and it’s also used in to access online banking, for example, your resulting zero balance is to be expected.

Let’s call it a rule–never use the same password twice, or variants of it.

Some of you may think this is obvious and I do agree but according to the UK’s  National Cyber Security Centre, in collaboration with Troy Hunt (a Microsoft regional director), the password ‘123456’ has been detected 23 million times in the breaches collected. They’ve also published a top 100,000 list of most frequently used passwords… ‘qwerty’ and ‘password’ are also in the top five.

Change User Habits

Network administrators cannot assume that users will select secure passwords, making it necessary to enforce password policies, with rules for password selection. These rules should include but are not limited to:

  1. No passwords based on keyboard layout–such as ‘qwerty’ or ‘123456’
  2. None based on names of family members, employers, pets, birthdays or favourites–‘walle’, ‘pokemon’, ‘liverpool’–hackers will use social engineering to find likely passwords and your love of Metallica leads to an easy password hack.
  3. No real words, regardless of language–hackers can check against entire dictionaries in minutes.
  4. Avoid short passwords that are easily remembered–where possible my own passwords exceed 20 characters.
  5. Change passwords from time to time – perhaps once every month or at least four times each year.

Obviously, adopting a new complex password strategy requires some form of management. How will this be achieved?

Storing Complex Passwords for Easy Retrieval

I’ve thought it about this for some time and believe there is no single solution, as it will depend on budget, company size and level of security awareness. A big no-no is writing passwords on post-its and sticking to your monitor or in your wallet. How about Excel or MS Word? Sure, it could be used but if the Excel file is unprotected then all passwords are visible once accessed by a hacker.

BYOI (bring your own identity) is one option but I believe it’s only effective if two-factor authentication is employed to verify the user (by sending a code via SMS, for example). In such an environment, all passwords are stored in the cloud, needing one login password to access all others. With the global identity and access management market predicted to reach more than US$22 billion by 2025, such solutions may only be viable for the middle market and enterprises.

How about secure login via social media platforms or search engines such as Google? I’m not really interested in sharing more data with global giants but the decision is yours.

Password mangers are often touted as a solution to password bloat and I do find them useful. However, they also have weaknesses, some of them caused by the OS used preventing security processes from completing, as indicated by the Washington Post.

I use one (not disclosing which) but I store my password file and token (required to access the password file) on a memory stick. When I need a password, I insert the memory stick, perform the required action and remove it immediately afterwards. I wear the memory stick around my neck so apart from a violent attack or removal from ‘my cold dead hands,’ I believe my data is quite safe. I avoid all related cloud-based services and rely solely on the memory stick – with a secure backup in a fireproof safe.

The most useful feature of password managers is the inbuilt password generator tool – I recommend at least 20 characters, including special characters, alphanumeric and underlines for all passwords, especially ones involving financial or medical data.

Company and Personal Data

While I’m not advocating a choice for password management, there are many options available and segregation of personal and company data must be part of any password management policy. BYOD (bring your own device) can complicate matters but any effective strategy must also include device encryption and partitioning to separate personal data. If an employee leaves the company, remote erasure of all company data, including passwords, must be possible, without disturbing the user’s personal photos and other files.

According to research from the Ponemon Institute and sponsored by Yubico, The 2019 State of Password and Authentication Security Behaviors Report stated that while 66% of those surveyed agree that it’s very important to protect passwords, 51% believe they are too difficult to manage. Both parties have a point. Managing passwords is a chore but weigh the inconvenience against the costs of a breach, not just financial but reputational.

In conclusion, I’ve outlined some suggestions for password management. It’s up to you to decide how you will enforce a password policy and how it will be rolled out effectively. Enhancing staff awareness is a given but what methods will you use to ensure all employee passwords are secure and are changed regularly? Two-factor authentication is worth considering but do the added costs and IT resources outweigh the benefits? After some brainstorming with IT and executive stakeholders, you’ll be able to choose the best path for password security, one that will at least slow down persistent hackers. Best of luck.