PLDT pioneers digital security

PLDT Enterprise, the corporate business arm of PLDT Inc. (PLDT), is set to launch SmartSafe SilentAccess, a network-powered alternative to one-time passwords (OTP) that aims to protect users from online fraud while simplifying digital transactions. 

The company said over the weekend it intends to pioneer silent authentication, a globally certified technology designed to prevent OTP-related scams and strengthen the country’s growing digital economy.

“We envision PLDT to be the first to transition beyond OTPs in the country,” said Blums Pineda, senior vice president and head of the Enterprise Business Group at PLDT and Smart. “With SmartSafe, we are not just protecting enterprises and their end-users — we are shaping the future of digital trust in the Philippines.

”SmartSafe SilentAccess authenticates users in real time through the Smart Communications network, enabling seamless logins and transactions without relying on SMS-based OTPs, which are increasingly targeted by phishing, vishing, and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Unit’s defense bid

“SmartSafe SilentAccess delivers certified authentication without OTPs, working invisibly in the background,” said Nico Alcoseba, first vice president and head of product management at PLDT Enterprise. 

“It is about making security effortless for end-users, while giving enterprises the strongest and safest possible defense against digital fraud.”

As the wireless subsidiary of PLDT, Smart is the first telco to receive GSMA certification for its Open Gateway APIs, including Number Verification offered to B2B users by PLDT Enterprise. 

With over 60 percent of digital interactions in the Philippines occurring via mobile, SmartSafe aims to remove friction for users while closing doors to scammers.