SHAKEN/STIR technology goes into effect, promising a reduction of spam calls

Canadians can now benefit from new technology that will let them know if incoming calls are spoofed.

Service providers now have to verify if an incoming call can be trusted by verifying the information for Internet Protocol-based calls.

SHAKEN/STIR technology, a framework that authenticates caller ID, is being used to implement the change. Secure Telephony Information Revisited (STIR) enables providers to validate an incoming call. Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information using Tokens (SHAKEN) is the larger framework used by network providers.

The change was implemented by the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

“Bad actors who have no interest in following the rules [and] have been contributing to an erosion of confidence in the telecommunications system,” CRTC chair, Ian Scott, said at the Canadian Telecom Summit on November 15th.

The CRTC has taken numerous other steps to stop these types of calls. This includes encouraging providers to offer call-filtering services and asking them to block specific calls. The organization is currently working on a process to trace scam calls back to their original point of origin.

The CRTC warns, however, that all calls will be verified by the new technology because of device and network capabilities.

“This new caller ID technology will empower Canadians to determine which calls are legitimate and worth answering, and which need to be treated with caution. As more providers upgrade their networks, STIR/SHAKEN will undoubtedly reduce spoofing and help Canadians regain peace of mind when answering phone calls,” Scott said of the new change.

Source: CRTC