# SMS Firewall RFP & Evaluation Checklist - Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/guides/sms-firewall-rfp-checklist - Language: en - Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me) - Markdown version of the page above, generated from the rendered page. Operator security Free checklist An operator's evaluation checklist for SMS firewall RFPs: threat detection categories, deployment modes, filtering policy, reporting, A2P monetization, and revenue-assurance requirements. 31 checkpoints 2 min read Updated July 14, 2026 Email me the PDF For MNO revenue-assurance, wholesale, and network-security teams running a firewall RFP. What's inside 1. 01Threat & detection coverage 2. 02Deployment modes & architecture 3. 03Filtering policy & rules 4. 04Reporting, analytics & evidence 5. 05A2P monetization & revenue assurance 6. 06Compliance, support & vendor due diligence [Browse all guides](https://www.broadnet.me/guides) The short version An SMS firewall protects a mobile network's messaging revenue and subscribers by inspecting inbound A2P and P2P traffic, blocking grey routes and fraud, and enforcing commercial policy on enterprise senders. Choosing one is a procurement decision with technical, commercial, and regulatory dimensions. Use this checklist to structure an RFP and compare vendors on the criteria that actually determine outcomes — detection coverage, deployment fit, monetization uplift, and the quality of the evidence the platform produces. The checklist ## Work through it, tick as you go. Diagram Where an SMS firewall sits in the operator network 1. Inbound A2P and interconnect traffic From aggregators and international partners 2. SMS firewall Inspects every message in real time 3. Operator SMSC Only clean traffic is delivered 4. Subscriber handset - Grey routes, spoofed sender IDs and spam are blocked - Legitimate A2P traffic is identified and billed 01 ### Threat & detection coverage Confirm the platform detects the categories that leak the most revenue on your network. - Grey-route / SS7 MT-bypass detection (A2P delivered as P2P to avoid termination fees). This is typically the largest single source of leaked A2P revenue. - Sender-ID spoofing and impersonation of protected brands / short codes. - SMS spam and unsolicited bulk detection with configurable thresholds. - Smishing / phishing URL detection and category-based content filtering. - SIM-farm and P2P-abuse patterns (velocity, fan-out, repeated content). Ask how the vendor distinguishes legitimate high-volume P2P from abuse. - SS7/SIGTRAN-level signalling anomaly detection (SRI-SM probing, faked-MSC). Cross-reference against GSMA FS.11 category-1/2/3 signalling controls. - Detection accuracy: ask for false-positive / false-negative rates and how they are measured. 02 ### Deployment modes & architecture - Supported modes: inline (SMSC MT proxy), offline/passive (mirror for analysis), and home-routing. Home-routing forces MT-terminating traffic through the firewall and closes the grey-route gap. - High availability and geo-redundancy with no single point of failure. The firewall sits in the critical messaging path — HA is non-negotiable. - Throughput headroom vs. your peak SMS/second, with published latency under load. - On-premises, private-cloud, and managed-service options — inside your security perimeter. - Integration with existing SMSC, STP, and signalling stack without vendor lock-in. - Fail-open vs. fail-closed behaviour is configurable and documented. 03 ### Filtering policy & rules - Rule engine supports allow/deny lists, regex/content rules, and per-sender commercial policy. - Sender-ID registry / whitelist management with self-service enterprise onboarding. - Simulation / shadow mode to test new rules against live traffic before enforcing. Insist on shadow mode — it prevents revenue-affecting false positives at go-live. - Rule changes are versioned, auditable, and role-based-access controlled. 04 ### Reporting, analytics & evidence - Real-time dashboards for blocked traffic, revenue at risk, and top offending routes/senders. - Configurable reports for regulators, wholesale partners, and internal RA teams. - Per-route reconciliation to quantify leakage recovered after deployment. - Exportable evidence packs (CDRs, signalling traces) for dispute resolution. Evidence quality determines whether you can charge back a fraudulent aggregator. - Data-retention controls aligned to your regulatory and privacy obligations. 05 ### A2P monetization & revenue assurance - Converts detected grey-route traffic into billable A2P through enforced termination. The core commercial case: block the bypass, then monetise the recovered traffic. - Supports an A2P commercial model (per-message termination, tiered enterprise pricing). - Provides a measurable before/after baseline of A2P revenue uplift. - Commercial model for the firewall itself: capex, opex, or revenue-share — described transparently. 06 ### Compliance, support & vendor due diligence - Alignment with GSMA messaging-security guidance (IR.70/IR.71 family, FS.11). - Vendor holds relevant security certifications (e.g. ISO 27001) and passes your InfoSec review. - 24/7 NOC/SOC support, defined SLAs, and a managed threat-intelligence feed. - References from operators of comparable size and traffic profile. Ask for anonymised deployment outcomes, not just logos. - Clear roadmap for emerging threats (RCS abuse, AIT/SMS-pumping crossover). References - [GSMA · IR.71 SMS interworking](https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/networks/) - [GSMA · fraud & security (FS series)](https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/security/) Standards and regulator references cited in this guide. BroadNet is a GSMA Associate Member and MEF member operating carrier-grade messaging since 2003. Related - [SMS Firewall (operators)](https://www.broadnet.me/operators/sms-firewall) - [Operator solutions](https://www.broadnet.me/operators) - [What is an SMS firewall?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-sms-firewall) - [SMS grey routes explained](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-grey-route-sms) - [Telecom fraud prevention checklist](https://www.broadnet.me/guides/telecom-fraud-prevention-checklist) Keep a copy ## Want this as a shareable PDF? Send it to your inbox to circulate with your team — no spam, one email. Email me the PDF Get the PDF ## Email me the SMS Firewall RFP & Evaluation Checklist. We'll send a clean, printable PDF of this checklist to your inbox so you can circulate it with your team or keep it for your RFP. A messaging engineer will follow up only if you ask — no sales spam. - Printable, one-page-per-section PDF - Everything on this page, formatted to share - Optional: a call with a BroadNet engineer Prefer not to share your email? Use Print / save as PDF above — the full checklist is on this page. Direct line · reply within one business day ## Send me the SMS Firewall RFP & Evaluation Checklist Tell us where to send it. We'll email the PDF and only follow up if you ask. 1. 1 Who 2. 2 Need 3. 3 Context