STIR/SHAKEN is a protocol required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and congressionally mandated programs that reduces robocalling by validating every ANI and uses the insertion of digital tokens into every outbound call. Every call producer with USA terminating traffic must use verified ANIs with digital tokens attached, ensuring calls reach their dialed destinations correctly.

Prescott-Martini, LLC is an authorized provider of both verified ANIs and digital tokens. We generate electronic tokens for call originators and token validation for call terminators. Tokens are generated and validated through a real-time national database.

This article will discuss how STIR/SHAKEN implementation can solve the issue of robocalling.

What Are STIR/SHAKEN Standards?

Voice Service Providers have been directed by the FCC to implement robust call authentication. STIR/SHAKEN standards create a secure framework to guarantee that each caller ID is accurate and verified.

• STIR: Secure Telephony Identity Revisited (STIR) is a set of technical standards developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to certify the identity of originating calls.
• SHAKEN: Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using ToKENs (SHAKEN) is a framework developed by the Alliance of Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) to implement STIR within IP-based service provider networks.

Levels of STIR/SHAKEN Tokens

Three different levels of operating STIR/SHAKEN tokens will be issued and inserted into the SIP header of each call.

• Attestation A: A trusted company that originates and terminates calls on the same network.
• Attestation B: A trusted company that originates calls on the vendor network and then terminates the call on another last-mile network.
• Attestation C: A third party entity that originates calls off-network, comes onto the vendor network, then passes the call on to another last-mile network. Nobody has any idea who the originators are, or what kind of traffic this is. This is the highly targeted traffic for STIR/SHAKEN identification as suspect calls.

How The STIR/SHAKEN Process Works

With STIR/SHAKEN, the call originator sends a destination number, via the MySQL data link, to Prescott-Martini for Stir-Shaken treatment. Here’s what happens then:

• Prescott-Martini receives the MySQL data query from you. We then add a “verified caller-ID” from our ANI inventory (this can also be your existing ANIs that are ported to Prescott-Martini).
• We will then 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.
• 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 on its caller ID screen (call from Mom). If the token is B or C level, the receiver may get a different message.

Authenticate Your Calls and Stop Scammers With Our STIR/SHAKEN Services

Working with Prescott-Martini, LLC to implement STIR/SHAKEN allows you to do so in a few different ways, depending on your preferences and needs. You can send STIR/SHAKEN requests to us via MYSQL or SIP. In either case, we’ll return a digital authentication token to you for insertion into your SIP header. You can also forward your calls to us for authentication via SIP pass-through.

Whether you’re a voice service provider or a business handling these services internally, it’s an excellent option for a company dealing with a high volume of calls.

If you’re ready to work with us or have questions about our services, get in touch with us now!