FAQ
What are the STIR/SHAKEN standards for mobile phones?
STIR/SHAKEN is a set of procedures aiming to verify caller identity. They are intended to help combat unwanted calls received by members of the public. STIR (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited) is an acronym for a set of standards that allow a telecommunications service provider to verify the legitimacy of a caller’s number when a call is made. SHAKEN (Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information using toKENs) is an acronym for a framework that allows different operators to deploy the STIR protocol to authenticate calls made and received on the IP network. Why it’s important The STIR/SHAKEN standards involve different ways to indicate whether the caller number displayed on compatible mobile devices is trustworthy. The CRTC has required all Canadian telecommunications service providers to implement these standards to combat caller identity spoofing. Good to know: Spoofing is a technique that alters the caller ID information displayed on your phone to hide the caller’s identity. This technique is based on the principle that we are more likely to respond when we receive a call that appears legitimate (such as a local phone number). Spoofing can be used for unethical reasons such as deceptive telemarketing or fraud. There are times, however, when changing the caller’s identity is acceptable. A doctor for instance, calling to discuss a patient’s lab results may want to display the hospital’s number rather than their personal number. Under what conditions can a number be verified? Because the standards are being rolled out and are not yet supported by all vendors, not all calls are verified. A caller’s number can only be verified if it meets all of the following criteria: The standard is applied by both caller’s and the recipient’s telephone service provider. The voice call is made between individuals who subscribe to a Canadian telecommunications service. The call is