Ever been bombarded with calls presenting offers or selling products and services you haven’t asked for? You’re not alone! Spam and illegal robocalls are a serious problem that communications companies are grappling with while they try to protect the privacy of their customers. Because of this abuse, a new solution called STIR/SHAKEN has been developed. STIR is short for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited and SHAKEN stands for Secure Handling of Asserted information using toKENs. Together, they are a set of standards that allow for the authentication and verification of caller ID information for calls carried over Internet Protocol (IP) networks that can assist communication service providers in preventing robocalls from connecting with their desired endpoints.
Did you know that the Federal Communications Commission required all voice providers to implement STIR/SHAKEN or adopt robocall mitigation plans by mid-2021? At Sinch, we know how important it is to stay compliant, which is why we remain on top of laws and regulations that affect our own and our customers’ operations. So, if you’re terminating calls in the U.S. and Canada, it’s time to listen up.
Why should you care about STIR/SHAKEN?
All U.S. and Canadian voice providers and foreign providers delivering calls to the U.S. and Canada for termination must submit a certification of their implementation of STIR/SHAKEN or a robocall mitigation plan, and all voice telephony providers will have a new duty not to accept calls directly from service providers that have not submitted such certifications. Eventually, if your calls do not contain the STIR/SHAKEN certification, they will be blocked and never reach the end user. Let’s face it, that’s not very good for business.
How does STIR/SHAKEN work?
Let us give you the run down! STIR/SHAKEN authentication standards allow for verification that calls come from a real caller ID instead of a spoofed one. This means that calls traveling through interconnected phone networks have their caller ID certified as legitimate by originating carriers and validated by other carriers before reaching end users.
To boil it down, STIR/SHAKEN digitally validates the handoff of phone calls passing through the complex web of networks, allowing the phone company of the end user receiving the call to verify that a call is in fact from the number displayed on Caller ID. It’s that simple!
How can you benefit from STIR/SHAKEN?
STIR/SHAKEN helps improve calling experiences by mitigating spoofed robocalls and, as a result, building consumers’ trust so they’re comfortable answering incoming calls. When people can’t trust that callers are who they claim to be, they stop answering even legitimate calls. By allowing customers to see that your call has been authenticated with a trust indicator, you’re establishing voice security and ensuring that customers feel confident picking up and saying hello. Preventing unlawful robocalls with call authentication means increased call answer rates and improved customer experience – both of which make your business look good.
Learn more about STIR/SHAKEN
As implementation of STIR/SHAKEN continues to progress, it will give customers more confidence that the caller ID information they receive is accurate and will allow voice service providers to offer helpful information to their consumers about which calls to answer.
With an increase in bad players using technology to spoof their real phone number, STIR/SHAKEN has the potential to help protect the average user from getting tricked into answering calls and providing their personal details in money or identity fraud scams.
STIR/SHAKEN standards confirm incoming calls are authenticated before the call is delivered. This way, people are alerted of suspicious calls or calls are intercepted before they come through. In the end, if you’re delivering voice calls to end users in the U.S. and Canada, you’re not only going to want to implement STIR/SHAKEN because it’s mandatory for carrying voice traffic, but also because you care about your customers and you want to help them know who’s really calling.
Are you interested in learning more about STIR/SHAKEN and how Sinch is addressing and handling this for our customers? Go to STIR/SHAKEN or get in touch with our team to start fighting spoofed and illegal robocalls today!
