The Message Processing and Automation (MPA) system is a powerful action option that can be configured directly on a PacketViper sensor. This feature allows the sensor to send secure SMS alerts, providing a critical communication channel for real-time threat notification. This is particularly important for modernizing systems that previously relied on free, unsecure SMS gateways, which are no longer viable.
The MPA action is one of many different actions that a sensor can be configured with. In addition to sending SMS alerts, sensors can be set up to perform actions such as blocking the source, sending an email alert, rate limiting traffic, or forwarding the alert to an AlertBox. Any or all of these actions can be applied to any sensor, providing a highly flexible and customizable response framework.
Key Features and Benefits
Compliant & Secure Alerting: MPA provides a modern, secure, and compliant method for delivering critical alerts via SMS, ensuring adherence to regulations like 10DLC A2P.
Centralized Communication: By supporting both PacketViper sensors and email-to-SMS from third-party tools, MPA creates a single, secure pipeline for all operational alerts.
Real-Time, Localized Response: Alerts are delivered directly to the right operational personnel, bypassing traditional IT-bound and SIM-dependent workflows to enable faster, localized reactions.
Preventing Alert Fatigue: MPA can be configured to deliver only the most critical, context-rich information to the appropriate recipients, suppressing irrelevant activity and reducing alert fatigue.
10DLC A2P Explained
10DLC (10-digit long code) refers to a standard ten-digit phone number used for business-to-consumer communication. A2P (Application-to-Person) describes SMS traffic sent from an application (like MPA) to a person's mobile device.
In the past, many businesses used free or low-cost messaging services that operated on unverified long codes, leading to widespread spam and a lack of accountability. To combat this, the major U.S. mobile carriers introduced a new framework that requires businesses to register their brands and campaigns to use 10DLC for A2P messaging. Without this registration, messages are at risk of being filtered, blocked, or not delivered at all.
PacketViper’s MPA platform is built to handle this registration and authentication process, ensuring that SMS alerts are delivered reliably and securely while complying with these new regulations. This provides a critical advantage over older, non-compliant systems.
How MPA Aligns with Threat Mitigation
Addressing Legacy Communication Challenges: MPA overcomes the limitations of outdated alerting systems, providing a reliable and secure method for transmitting crucial information to the field.
Facilitating Third-Party Integration: The system's ability to process email-to-SMS alerts from external tools allows for seamless integration into existing security ecosystems, enhancing a company's overall threat posture without requiring a complete overhaul.
Enabling Immediate Action: By turning its sensors into automated messengers, MPA ensures that threat intelligence is instantly enforceable, allowing operational teams to apply network protections without delay.