Vodafone, a major player in mobile communications operating across 26 countries and in partnership with 55 more, has significantly enhanced its fraud detection capabilities through collaboration with RiverSafe.
With almost 444 million customers, Vodafone made its mark by conducting the first-ever mobile phone call on 1 January 1985. Recently, the company has focused on improving security within its Ghana operations by addressing key vulnerabilities in their system monitoring.
Identifying gaps in monitoring
Jake Francis, Head of Technology Security for Vodafone's Information Security Technology Group (ISTG) in Ghana, approached RiverSafe to advance log monitoring processes.
Although Vodafone Ghana had been using Splunk for two years, some critical systems like Bluecoat, VPN, email servers, routers, switches, and firewall logs were not adequately monitored, creating blind spots. "There were gaps or loopholes which create opportunities for theft," Jake explains, highlighting the risks of undetected manipulation.
Need for real-time anti-fraud measures
Jake recalled the absence of a suitable Splunk app to tackle internal fraud, crucial for revenue reconciliation
The market dynamics in Ghana, particularly its prepaid market, necessitated rigorous transaction validation to prevent fraud. Jake emphasized, “Every transaction that goes onto the system needs to be vetted to ensure it’s a legitimate transaction.”
Internal fraud potential between Vodafone’s retail stores and back office systems further fueled the demand for a real-time anti-fraud solution. Jake recalled the absence of a suitable Splunk app to tackle internal fraud, crucial for revenue reconciliation.
Developing the solution
In response, Vodafone commissioned RiverSafe to craft a bespoke anti-fraud app. RiverSafe developed tailored scripts and analytics, adding a critical layer of controls.
Significant effort was put into reviewing existing log management scripts and mapping this data to use cases and consumer requirement reports, thereby enhancing the company’s ability to verify revenue growth against usage.
Achieving proactive fraud management
Vodafone has implemented specific criteria, metrics, analytics, and reporting on fraud trends
With these new tools, Vodafone has implemented specific criteria, metrics, analytics, and reporting on fraud trends. This enables the ISTG to offer specialized support to other departments on internal fraud issues.
Jake notes that these changes allow him to analyze logged information effectively, fostering a proactive rather than reactive approach to fraud prevention and revenue assurance.
Rolling out the solution
The success in Ghana is leading to the anti-fraud app's deployment across other Vodafone Ghana offices, with plans to extend it to other regions of Africa and Asia, where prepaid services are prominent.
Jake Francis expressed satisfaction with RiverSafe's collaboration, stating, “RiverSafe helped us to meet our security audit requirements… now we’re being proactive, not just reactive. The team has been terrific and their expertise and support have been second to none.”
Operating in 26 countries, with partnerships in 55 more, Vodafone is one of the world’s pioneering mobile communications providers. The company made the first-ever mobile phone call on 1 January 1985, and now delivers mobile communications to almost 444 million customers.
Jake Francis, Head of Technology Security for the Information Security Technology Group (ISTG) for Vodafone in Ghana, initially approached RiverSafe to help with some log monitoring.
Team’s monitoring processes
The company had been using Splunk in its environment for two years. While some of Vodafone Ghana’s systems were being analysed by Splunk, many crucial systems including Bluecoat, VPN, email servers, routers and switches and firewall logs were not—leaving blind spots in the team’s monitoring processes and leaving them unable to see the complete picture.
“There were gaps or loopholes which create opportunities for theft,” Jake explains. “These can then be easily manipulated by those who understand where they are and how to penetrate them.”
Real-time anti-fraud capability
Jake added: “Every transaction that goes onto the system needs to be vetted to make sure that it’s a legitimate transaction. This is especially important in Ghana where we operate a prepaid market and need to ensure that authorisation for data and payments are legitimate.”
“For example, if a customer has paid for one gigabit of data then this is what should be issued to their account. What we found, however, was that some of the retail shops were raising fraudulent claims. We now have the ability to see this more easily.”
Jake realised that Vodafone needed better real-time anti-fraud capability in order to prevent internal fraud between Vodafone’s retail stores and its back office systems. “We found that there wasn’t a Splunk app available to combat internal fraud,” recalls Jake, “and we needed this so that we could effectively reconcile revenue.”
The solution
To tackle this costly action, Jake again turned to RiverSafe to develop a new anti-fraud app. RiverSafe developed scripts and analytics that would address Vodafone Ghana’s unique needs. This additional layer of checks and balances is particularly crucial in Ghana, where the IT and telco infrastructure is developing and often underserved.
RiverSafe also reviewed Vodafone’s existing log management scripts, including configured searches and logic. This data was then mapped to documented use cases and consumer requirement reporting, enabling the company’s Revenue Assurance team could verify revenue growth against usage.
The outcome
With RiverSafe’s help, Vodafone have now implemented bespoke new criteria, metrics, analytics and reporting around fraud trends. The team now also has access to in-depth forensic data so that the ISTG can assist other departments with any internal fraud issues.
“Now I can store all this information in my server and go back and write a script against these logs to find out what’s happened if I believe there’s an issue. This enables us to look out for possible trends and scenarios. Now we’re being proactive, not just reactive, and helping the fraud department with reconciliation and revenue assurance.”
Other parts of Vodafone
The anti-fraud app is now being rolled out to other Vodafone Ghana offices, with plans to implement it in other parts of Vodafone in Africa and Asia, where there is also a large prepaid market.
“RiverSafe helped us to meet our security audit requirements… now we’re being proactive, not just reactive. The team has been terrific and their expertise and support has been second to none,” Jake Francis, Head of Technology Security for the Information Security Technology Group (ISTG) Vodafone.
