STIR/SHAKEN - RoboCallCop

STIR/SHAKEN: A Powerful Weapon against Robocalls – Understanding its Need and Top 3 Benefits

Introduction

In today's fast-paced world, staying connected is crucial. Unfortunately, our reliance on phone calls has opened the door to a growing problem: robocalls. These spam and fraudulent calls have become a major annoyance, disrupting our daily lives and posing security risks. That's where STIR/SHAKEN comes in - a new technology designed to combat robocalls. In this blog post, we'll dive into what STIR/SHAKEN is, why it's needed, and the top 3 benefits of this innovative solution. We'll summarize today's post by giving the reader an update on what Atlantech Online is doing to protect our UCaaS and Phone Service customers. 

What is STIR/SHAKEN?

STIR/SHAKEN is an acronym for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using Tokens (SHAKEN). It is a framework established to mitigate the problem of robocalls and caller ID spoofing. It works by authenticating and validating the caller ID information transmitted during a phone call, ensuring that the number displayed on the recipient's device is genuine and not spoofed.

Why is STIR/SHAKEN Needed?

Robocalls and spoofed calls have become increasingly prevalent, inundating phone users with unsolicited calls from unknown or misleading numbers. These calls often have malicious intent, such as scamming, phishing, or telemarketing. STIR/SHAKEN is needed to restore trust in the telephone system and protect users from these unwanted, and potentially harmful, calls.

Top 3 Benefits of STIR/SHAKEN

1. Enhanced Call Security: STIR/SHAKEN works to ensure that the caller ID information displayed is legitimate and accurate. By doing so, it helps prevent fraud and scams by making it more difficult for bad actors to deceive call recipients. This increased call security can give users peace of mind, knowing that the calls they receive are genuine.

2. Reduced Robocalls and Spam: As STIR/SHAKEN makes it harder for scammers to spoof caller ID information, the number of robocalls and spam calls reaching users should decrease. This reduction will not only save users time and frustration but also help telecommunications companies to improve their network efficiency and maintain a higher quality of service.

3. Restoring Trust in Phone Communications: Caller ID spoofing has eroded trust in phone communications, with many users reluctant to answer calls from unknown numbers. By implementing STIR/SHAKEN, telecommunications providers can help restore that trust, making phone calls a more reliable and secure means of communication.

STIR/SHAKEN is a vital tool in the fight against robocalls and spoofed calls. By enhancing call security, reducing the prevalence of unwanted calls, and restoring trust in phone communications, this technology is set to make a significant positive impact on our daily lives. As all telecommunications providers continue to adopt STIR/SHAKEN, users can look forward to a safer and more reliable phone experience.

Atlantech Online Inbound Reputation Implementation

Atlantech Online proceeds with our efforts to combat unwanted calls to our customers, the next step will be to filter inbound calls and tag Maybe/Likely SPAM calls (modifying/replacing the CNAM) for all our customers.  You may already have seen this on some of your inbound calls.

STIR/SHAKEN, as described above... all it does is verify that the call originated with a certified “reputable” vendor and tags the call INVITE message with the identity of the source vendor (for tracking purposes).  Unfortunately, a vast majority of calls are still not being tagged.  Even when they are, it does not guarantee the call is not SPAM. 

With that in mind, Atlantech Online is employing a solution that provides an indication of the “spaminess” of a caller, such as on telemarketing and robocalls. This evaluation is based on anonymous and aggregated community data, updated in real-time, and are based on automated algorithms, as well as manual reviews and intervention.

Calls exceeding a "warning threshold" will have the Caller Name (CNAME) prepended with "MAYBE SPAM" such as  "MAYBE SPAM Joe Smith 301-555-1234" (for example). 

Calls exceeding an "alerting threshold" will have the Caller Name (CNAME) replaced with "LIKELY SPAM" such as "LIKELY SPAM  301-555-1234"

If you are an Atlantech Online customer and finds that an inbound call is being incorrectly tagged, please open a ticket with tech support to get the caller’s DID (direct inward dial number) whitelisted. This implementation is another step forward for Atlantech Online and our adoption of STIR/SHAKEN.