TL;DR
Quick Answer
TL;DR
Key Facts
- STIR/SHAKEN implementation is the responsibility of telecom service providers.
- Enterprises do not deploy STIR/SHAKEN themselves but are affected by carrier readiness.
- Carrier implementation impacts whether calls can be successfully authenticated.
- Policies and enforcement around STIR/SHAKEN are still evolving.
- Businesses should engage in industry and regulatory discussions.
- No solution can guarantee attestation or STIR/SHAKEN outcomes with certainty.
- Claims of guaranteed “enterprise signing” or attestation should be viewed skeptically.
Why Service Providers Own STIR/SHAKEN Implementation
STIR/SHAKEN is the responsibility of telecommunications service providers. Carriers are required to deploy and operate the technical infrastructure that authenticates calls and applies attestation as calls originate on their networks.
Enterprises do not implement STIR/SHAKEN themselves and cannot directly sign calls.
STIR/SHAKEN is a network-level call authentication framework. Only service providers have the ability to cryptographically sign calls, assign attestation, and exchange authentication information with other networks. This means carriers are responsible for meeting regulatory deadlines, maintaining compliance, and ensuring their systems correctly authenticate outbound calls.
Why Enterprises Still Need to Pay Attention
Although carriers handle implementation, enterprise call outcomes are directly affected by how STIR/SHAKEN is applied in practice. Provider readiness, compliance status, and operational decisions all influence whether calls are authenticated and how they are treated downstream.
Factors that matter to enterprises include whether a provider met implementation deadlines or filed extensions, how attestation decisions are made for enterprise traffic, and how identity and number authorization are handled within the provider’s network. Staying informed about a provider’s STIR/SHAKEN posture helps enterprises understand potential risks to call delivery and labeling.
Policy & Industry Changes Still Matter
STIR/SHAKEN policies, enforcement practices, and operational standards continue to evolve. As regulators and industry groups refine expectations, how calls are authenticated and interpreted may change over time. Enterprises benefit from staying engaged in industry discussions and providing input on policies that affect call treatment, even though they are not responsible for implementation.
Be Cautious of Guarantees
Enterprises should be cautious of vendors or solutions that claim to guarantee STIR/SHAKEN outcomes, including promises of enterprise call signing or assured attestation levels. Because STIR/SHAKEN depends on multiple variables and provider-specific decisions, no solution can predict outcomes with complete certainty.
While enterprises do not implement STIR/SHAKEN, they still need transparency and accountability across their provider ecosystem. Understanding how identity, number authorization, and reputation are managed helps reduce risk and avoid misleading claims.
Numeracle supports enterprises and service providers with solutions that improve identity accountability and trust alongside STIR/SHAKEN, helping ensure authenticated calls are not undermined by downstream issues.
How It Works
Who Implements STIR/SHAKEN?
STIR/SHAKEN operates at the network level.
When a call originates, the voice service provider is responsible for:
- Authenticating caller information
- Verifying number authorization
- Assigning an attestation level
- Digitally signing the call
- Transmitting authentication information through the network
Downstream providers can then validate that information as the call moves toward its destination.
What Is the Enterprise's Role?
Although enterprises do not typically perform call signing themselves, they play an important supporting role.
Businesses should:
- Maintain accurate telephone number records
- Ensure providers can verify number authorization
- Understand which provider is signing calls
- Monitor authentication outcomes when possible
- Escalate authentication issues with the responsible provider
Authentication effectiveness often depends on the quality of information available to the provider performing the signing process.
Why Can't Providers Guarantee Specific Attestation Levels?
Attestation levels are assigned based on the provider's confidence in the caller's identity and authorization to use a number.
Factors affecting attestation may include:
- Provider relationships
- Number ownership and authorization
- Call routing
- Network architecture
- Customer onboarding and verification practices
Because these variables differ from one deployment to another, blanket guarantees about attestation outcomes should be viewed carefully.
Why This Matters
Businesses Should Care If Providers Handle STIR/SHAKEN
Even though providers are responsible for implementation, businesses experience the downstream effects of authentication decisions.
Attestation levels can influence how calls are authenticated throughout the network, and authentication problems can affect investigations into call treatment, caller identity issues, and troubleshooting efforts. Understanding which provider is responsible helps organizations identify the appropriate path for remediation when issues arise.
Industry Participation Is Important
STIR/SHAKEN continues to evolve through FCC proceedings, industry standards development, and caller identity initiatives.
Organizations that depend heavily on outbound calling should monitor regulatory developments, understand how provider obligations are changing, and engage with industry groups when appropriate. Changes to caller authentication, caller identity presentation, and related compliance requirements can affect business communications over time.
STIR/SHAKEN Doesn't Eliminate Call Trust Issues
A common misconception is that once providers implement STIR/SHAKEN, all call trust challenges are solved.
Authentication verifies caller ID information and helps reduce spoofing, but it does not determine whether a call is wanted, whether the caller has a positive reputation, or whether the recipient will answer. Reputation analytics, labeling systems, and consumer behavior continue to influence how calls are treated after authentication.
Common Questions
Do businesses need to implement STIR/SHAKEN themselves?
Generally, no. STIR/SHAKEN is implemented by voice service providers that authenticate, sign, and transmit calls through the network. Businesses typically participate by ensuring their providers have accurate information about their identity and telephone number authorization.
Who actually signs my calls?
The voice service provider originating the call into the network is generally responsible for signing the call and assigning the attestation level. Depending on your provider relationships, this may be a carrier, Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider, Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) provider, or another voice service provider.
Can a vendor guarantee A-Level Attestation?
Organizations should be cautious about broad guarantees. Attestation depends on factors such as number authorization, provider validation processes, and network architecture. While providers can help improve eligibility for higher attestation levels, they cannot universally guarantee specific outcomes in every situation.
If my provider is STIR/SHAKEN compliant, am I done?
Not necessarily. Authentication is only one aspect of call trust. Businesses should also understand their provider's authentication practices, maintain accurate caller identity information, and monitor call reputation because authenticated calls can still receive spam labels.
Can STIR/SHAKEN help if my calls are being spoofed?
Yes. STIR/SHAKEN was developed to help providers authenticate caller ID information and reduce the effectiveness of illegal caller ID spoofing. While it does not eliminate spoofing entirely, it provides a framework for verifying caller identity information as calls move through the network.
Our platform empowers organizations to manage branded calling, improve caller id reputation, and stay compliant with evolving regulatory and industry standards. FAQs and Glossary terms like this are designed to provide clear, actionable guidance backed by our expertise in verified identity, call labeling mitigation, and spam prevention.
To explore how Numeracle supports trusted and effective outbound communications, visit www.numeracle.com.
