TCN Launches ‘Understanding STIR/SHAKEN,’ an Online Business Guide to the New FCC Framework for Combating Illegal Caller ID Spoofing

ST. GEORGE, UT -- TCN, Inc., a global provider of a comprehensive cloud-based call center platform for enterprises, contact centers, BPOs, and collection agencies, today announced the launch of “Understanding STIR/SHAKEN,” an online guide that breaks down the most important rules and issues related to the new Secure Telephone Identity Revisited/Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKEN (STIR/SHAKEN) framework, which takes effect on June 30, 2021. It also addresses the additional FCC rules of the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act for businesses that are unable to implement STIR/SHAKEN right away.

“Every day, Americans receive millions of fraudulent, unwanted phone calls, including calls with malicious intent that ‘spoof’ or falsify caller ID information,” said McKay Bird, chief marketing officer at TCN. “These spoofed calls are not just an annoyance -- they represent billions of dollars lost to fraud, damage consumer confidence in voice networks and threaten public safety. STIR/SHAKEN is an important and needed step toward restoring the trust of Americans in their voice networks and giving them a greater degree of confidence that the caller ID information they receive on their phone is accurate.”

STIR/SHAKEN (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited/Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKEN) was introduced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a framework for preventing fraudulent and unwanted calls to consumers. It is an industry-standard caller ID authentication technology that allows voice service providers to verify that a call is in fact from the number displayed on Caller ID. STIR/SHAKEN assigns a certificate of authenticity to each call and digitally validates the handoff of calls carried over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. The FCC expects that widespread implementation of STIR/SHAKEN will reduce illegal spoofing, allow law enforcement to identify bad actors more easily and help service providers identify calls with illegally spoofed caller ID information before those calls reach their customers. The FCC requires service providers to adopt and deploy a STIR/SHAKEN solution by June 30, 2021.