What is STIR/SHAKEN?
STIR/SHAKEN is the caller ID authentication framework US phone companies use to sign calls and verify they come from the number shown.
What it is
STIR/SHAKEN is a set of technical standards that lets phone companies authenticate and verify caller ID information for calls carried over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. STIR stands for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited. SHAKEN stands for Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs.
The originating carrier signs the caller ID as legitimate, and other carriers validate it along the way. That lets the phone company of the person receiving the call verify that the call really comes from the number displayed. The FCC required voice service providers to implement it in the IP parts of their networks by June 30, 2021, and has since extended the duty to more providers. Because it only works on IP networks, providers on older technology must upgrade or work on a non-IP solution.
Why it matters for sales teams
The FCC says the framework supports providers' blocking decisions and call labeling, and makes illegal caller ID spoofing less effective. FCC rules let carriers block calls based on reasonable analytics that consider caller ID authentication information where available. So authentication is one input into how a call is treated, alongside other signals.
This is a general definition, not legal advice.