DITO Telecommunity has officially launched DITO Verified, making it the first telecommunications provider in the Philippines to commercially offer Silent Network Authentication (SNA). Developed in partnership with Shush Inc., the new service introduces a new approach to user verification by eliminating the need for traditional one-time passwords (OTPs).
Instead of waiting for a verification code through SMS, DITO Verified confirms a user's identity directly through the mobile network. The authentication process takes only 1 to 4 seconds and occurs entirely in the background when using DITO mobile data.
For users, the experience is simple. Open a supported banking app, e-wallet, or digital platform while connected to DITO's network, and verification happens automatically without entering a code or approving a prompt.
How DITO Verified Works
Traditional OTP authentication has long been a target for phishing attacks, SIM swap scams, and social engineering. Since verification codes are transmitted to users, attackers often attempt to trick people into revealing them.
DITO Verified removes that step completely. When a supported application requests authentication, DITO's network performs a silent cryptographic exchange with the SIM card installed in the device. Because no OTP is generated or sent, there's nothing for scammers to intercept or convince users to share.
The result is a faster login process while significantly reducing one of the most common attack methods used against online banking and financial accounts.
"Fraudsters today exploit weaknesses in legacy authentication methods. With DITO Verified, verification happens directly through the DITO mobile network — there is nothing for a scammer to steal. This is our commitment: to make the DITO SIM the most secure mobile identity in Philippine digital banking." — Atty. Adel Tamano, Chief Commercial Officer, DITO Telecommunity
From a user's perspective, the biggest advantage is convenience. There's no need to wait for an SMS, switch between apps, or manually enter a verification code. Everything happens automatically in the background.
Of course, this also means the service depends on using the DITO mobile network, so supported apps and mobile connectivity remain important parts of the experience.
DITO Verified is built on Shush Inc.'s Sherlock platform, an authentication infrastructure already operating in more than 40 countries.
The platform allows banks, e-wallets, and other digital service providers to add Silent Network Authentication alongside their existing OTP systems with minimal integration work. That means institutions can gradually introduce the new verification method without replacing their current authentication process.
"With DITO's reach and Sherlock's proven platform, we are demonstrating that carrier-native silent authentication can protect millions of Filipinos at scale. This partnership places the Philippines at the forefront of the global authentication transition in Southeast Asia." — Eddie DeCurtis, Co-Founder and CEO, Shush Inc.
Promotexter Philippines will help bring DITO Verified to enterprise clients across the country. The company, which has served Philippine businesses for nearly two decades, believes organizations are now looking beyond message delivery and placing greater emphasis on stronger account protection.
"Promotexter has served the Philippine enterprise market for nearly two decades. We are here because we believe our clients deserve a security outcome—not just a delivery rate. DITO Verified through Promotexter is the upgrade the market has been waiting for." — Philip Davis, President and CEO, Promotexter Philippines
Designed to Meet New Philippine Security Regulations
The service is designed to comply with Republic Act No. 12010, also known as the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA), signed in July 2024, as well as BSP Circular No. 1213, issued in June 2025.
Both measures encourage phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication for BSP-supervised financial institutions. Since DITO Verified relies on carrier-backed cryptographic verification instead of transmitted authentication codes, it naturally addresses many of the weaknesses associated with SMS-based verification.
From Announcement to Commercial Launch
DITO and Shush first announced their partnership during the Asian Carriers Conference held in Cebu in September 2025. The commercial deployment was later showcased at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona during a session focused on network APIs, highlighting the growing role of telecommunications infrastructure in digital identity verification.
As of the end of 2024, DITO reported 13.67 million subscribers and 86.30% NTC-certified national population coverage, providing a broad foundation for rolling out the new authentication service.
Thoughts
For years, OTPs have been the standard way to verify online accounts, but they've also become one of the weakest links in digital security. DITO Verified offers a practical alternative by authenticating users directly through the mobile network without requiring codes or additional user action.
The technology won't replace every authentication method overnight, especially since adoption depends on banks, e-wallets, and digital platforms integrating the service. Still, introducing carrier-native authentication is a notable step for the local industry and could help reduce fraud while making account verification quicker for everyday users.
If more financial institutions begin supporting DITO Verified, it could mark the beginning of a broader shift away from SMS-based authentication in the Philippines.
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