Telecom Security Telecom Signaling Security
Signaling Networks
Telecom Signaling Security
Defending SS7, Diameter, SIP, and GTP signaling against the fraud, interception, and tracking techniques used against interconnect networks worldwide.
Overview
Introduction
Signaling protocols are the nervous system of any telecom network — they route calls, deliver messages, manage roaming, and coordinate handovers between towers and networks. Many of these protocols, including SS7 and Diameter, were designed decades ago around a closed, trusted network of operators, an assumption that no longer holds in today's interconnected global telecom ecosystem.
ALCON Cyber Security assesses signaling infrastructure across generations — from legacy SS7 through Diameter, SIP, and GTP used in 4G and 5G networks — to identify where trust assumptions have broken down and where real-world abuse is possible today.
Impact
Why This Service Matters
Signaling abuse is rarely visible to subscribers until the damage is done. SS7 and Diameter vulnerabilities have been used globally to intercept SMS-based authentication codes, track subscriber location without consent, and redirect calls — all without touching a single handset. Because signaling traffic crosses interconnect boundaries between operators, a weakness in one network can be exploited by an attacker connected through a completely different, sometimes distant, network.
For operators, unresolved signaling vulnerabilities translate directly into fraud losses, regulatory exposure around subscriber privacy, and reputational damage if abuse becomes public. Signaling firewalls and monitoring are now considered baseline requirements by many regulators and roaming partners, not optional extras.
The Landscape
Current Industry Challenges
- Legacy trust models: SS7 was built assuming all interconnected operators were trustworthy, an assumption attackers now routinely exploit.
- Diameter inheriting old weaknesses: Many Diameter deployments carry forward SS7-era vulnerabilities through interworking functions.
- SIP and VoIP fraud: SIP trunking and VoIP interconnects are frequent targets for toll fraud and call interception.
- GTP exposure in mobile data networks: Weaknesses in GTP can allow attackers to disrupt or intercept mobile data sessions.
- Limited signaling visibility: Many operators lack real-time monitoring of signaling traffic, delaying detection of active abuse.
- Cross-border interconnect risk: Vulnerabilities can be exploited from anywhere in the world through roaming and interconnect agreements.
Our Approach
How ALCON Helps
ALCON's signaling security specialists test your SS7, Diameter, SIP, and GTP infrastructure the way real attackers do — probing interconnect points, roaming interfaces, and signaling firewalls for gaps that allow tracking, interception, or fraud. We evaluate existing SMS firewall and signaling firewall configurations, recommend rule enhancements, and help design continuous monitoring that flags abuse patterns as they emerge, rather than after the fact.
Where no signaling firewall exists, we help scope and validate a solution suited to your interconnect architecture and traffic volume.
Architecture
Signaling & Interconnect Security
Each signaling protocol passes through its own security control before reaching the interconnect boundary and your core network.
Simplified for clarity — every signaling path is filtered before it can reach your core network.
Deep Dive
Specific Core Features
SS7 Security Testing
Identification of location tracking, call interception, and fraud paths across SS7 interconnects.
Diameter Security Testing
Assessment of Diameter interfaces and interworking functions for inherited and native vulnerabilities.
SIP Security Testing
Testing of SIP trunks and VoIP interconnects for toll fraud, spoofing, and interception risks.
GTP Security Testing
Assessment of GTP-C and GTP-U interfaces used in mobile data sessions across 4G and 5G networks.
SMS & Signaling Firewall Review
Evaluation and tuning of firewall rules to detect and block known signaling abuse patterns.
Fraud & Threat Intelligence
Integration of telecom fraud intelligence into monitoring to catch emerging abuse techniques early.
Close the Gaps in Your Signaling Network
Talk to our signaling security specialists about SS7, Diameter, SIP, and GTP protection.
Talk to Our Experts