The telecommunications industry can be complex and confusing for those who are new to it. Moreover, even veterans can be confused by the nuances of STIR/SHAKEN tech, it’s complicated and relatively new to the market. In order to make informed decisions about your business's telecom needs, it's important to become familiar with some common terms used in the industry.

At Prescott-Martini, we work to provide telecommunication companies patented-pending technical solutions to comply with Federal anti-robocalling and consumer privacy protection regulations, through exquisite, advanced and affordable solutions. If you’re new to the STIR/SHAKEN framework, Prescott-Martini is here to help you get to know the process. For your consideration, we've provided brief definitions for some of the most common STIR/SHAKEN industry terms you're likely to come across.

STIR/SHAKEN:

STIR (Secure Telephony Identity Revisited) and SHAKEN (Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs) are two technologies that work together to combat robocalls. STIR establishes a secure calling environment by ensuring that caller ID information is accurate and verifying that it has not been spoofed. SHAKEN builds on this by allowing carriers to verify the originating network of a call and ensure that it is legitimate.

Together, STIR/SHAKEN make up a framework of interconnected standards meant to protect cell users from fake callers and particularly scams and robocalls. This set of protocols is relatively new, becoming a mainstain for US telecommunication companies around 2019. As of 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required the use of this technology for all major providers.

A quick outline of how the STIR/SHAKEN framework works

If you’re still a bit unclear about how STIR/SHAKEN works, we’ve developed a simple and approachable outline of exactly how the STIR/SHAKEN framework keeps callers safe.

First, the call originator sends a destination number, via MySQL data link, to Prescott-Martini for Stir-Shaken treatment. Here is what happens then:

• Prescott-Martini receives the MySQL data query from you;
• We add a “verified caller-ID” from our ANI inventory (this can also be your existing ANIs that are ported to Prescott-Martini’s CLEC);
• We produce our Service Provider signature certificate that has been generated by the national STIR-SHAKEN administrator, and is accepted by every major telephone carrier in the U.S. as those carriers turn up Stir-Shaken on the termination side;
• We return the MySQL data to you, for insertion into your call SIP header. We have produced an API where you can add/edit/delete any ANI in your account.
• The destination call receiver sees a message similar to this in its caller ID screen (call from Mom). If the token is B or C level, the receiver may get a different message.

Spoofing:

Spoofing is the practice of falsifying caller ID information in order to disguise the true identity of the caller. Spoofers often use easily obtained publicly available information, such as the names and addresses of businesses, to make it appear as though they are calling from a legitimate source. These calls can be very malicious and are often targeting vulnerable groups to get financial information.

Blacklist:

A blacklist is a list of numbers that have been identified as belonging to scammers or other unwanted callers. Blacklisting a number prevents it from being able to place calls through the carriers that subscribe to the blacklist.

Whitelist:

A whitelist is the opposite of a blacklist; it is a list of numbers that have been identified as belonging to legitimate callers. Carriers that subscribe to a whitelist will only allow calls from numbers on the list to come through.

Work with Prescott-Martini to protect your customers from falsified callers!

Since its inception, STIR/SHAKEN has been touted as the solution to the robocall problem. If you're interested in learning more about how our national solutions' provider can help you implement STIR/SHAKEN, contact us today. We'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about our services.

Get Started with STIR/SHAKEN Today! With robocalls becoming an increasingly common problem, now is the time to get started with STIR/SHAKEN. Our national solutions' provider can help you implement this technology quickly and easily, so don't wait any longer—contact us today!