Plain-language definitions of the STIR/SHAKEN, FCC compliance, telecom fraud, and SIP terms that originating carriers deal with every day — written for people who run switches, not for consumers.
44 terms across authentication, fraud, compliance, and network operations.
The FCC-mandated framework that cryptographically signs calling numbers so terminating carriers can verify the caller ID was not spoofed.
The three confidence levels an originating carrier assigns when signing a call, describing how well it knows the customer and their right to use the calling number.
The SIP header that carries the signed PASSporT token proving a call's caller ID was authenticated by the originating provider.
The signed JSON Web Token inside the Identity header that asserts the calling number, called number, attestation level, and origination identifier.
The central authority that decides which providers are eligible to obtain STIR/SHAKEN signing certificates and issues the tokens needed to request them.
An approved certification authority that issues the X.509 certificates carriers use to cryptographically sign outbound calls.
The originating-side service that decides an attestation level, builds the PASSporT, signs it, and inserts the Identity header into the outbound SIP INVITE.
The terminating-side service that validates a call's signature and returns a verification status used for call display and analytics.
Evidence that a customer is genuinely authorized to use the telephone numbers they present as caller ID.
Displaying a verified business name, logo, and call reason on the called party's handset instead of a bare phone number.
Verified display information — business name, logo, and call reason — carried inside a signed PASSporT so it cannot be forged in transit.
The legacy caller-name lookup system in which the terminating carrier queries a database to find a name associated with the calling number.
Presenting a calling number the caller is not authorized to use, in order to disguise the call's true origin or impersonate a trusted party.
An automatically dialed call that delivers a pre-recorded or artificial voice message, legal only with the right consent or exemption.
Fraud in which criminals drive traffic to expensive international premium numbers they control and take a share of the termination revenue.
A one-ring scam in which fraudsters place brief calls from premium international numbers so that curious victims call back at high cost.
The unauthorized use of a phone system or account to place calls that someone else has to pay for, usually to expensive international destinations.
Breaking into a business phone system or SIP trunk — usually through weak credentials or an exposed port — to place fraudulent outbound calls.
Routing international calls over the internet and re-injecting them into a local mobile network through banks of SIM cards, bypassing legitimate interconnect fees.
Artificially inflating call volumes to a rural or high-cost destination so the terminating provider can collect inflated access charges.
Spreading illegal call volume thinly across a large pool of rotating calling numbers so no single number triggers a blocking threshold.
Using phone calls, usually with a spoofed or impersonated caller ID, to trick victims into revealing credentials, codes, or payments.
Analytics-driven tags such as 'Scam Likely' or 'Spam Risk' that terminating carriers and handsets apply to inbound calls.
The FCC registry where every voice service provider must file a certification describing its robocall mitigation program.
The FCC authorization a carrier needs to provide interstate or international telecommunications service — and which the FCC can revoke.
A list of telephone numbers that should never appear as the calling number, such as inbound-only government and bank lines, which carriers may block outright.
The industry process of following a suspicious call hop by hop back through each carrier until the originating provider and its customer are identified.
The FCC-designated consortium that coordinates traceback investigations of suspected illegal robocall campaigns across carriers.
The US federal statute governing telemarketing calls, autodialers, pre-recorded messages, and consumer consent, enforceable through private lawsuits.
The process of verifying who a voice customer really is, what traffic they intend to send, and whether they are authorized to use the numbers they present.
Regulatory protection from liability for providers that block or mitigate calls in good faith using reasonable analytics and documented processes.
The four-character identifier assigned to a telecommunications carrier, used across number administration, routing, and STIR/SHAKEN eligibility.
The signaling protocol used to set up, modify, and tear down voice and video calls over IP networks.
A virtual connection that carries voice calls over IP between a business phone system and a voice provider, replacing physical phone lines.
The network element that sits at the edge of a voice network to control signaling and media, enforce security policy, and normalize SIP between networks.
The software-based call control platform that routes calls, applies rating and policy, and connects customers to upstream carriers.
The per-call record capturing calling and called numbers, timestamps, duration, route, disposition, and the customer responsible.
The ITU standard number format that gives every phone number a globally unique representation: a plus sign, country code, and subscriber number.
A telephone number assigned to a customer that routes inbound calls directly to a specific endpoint, and is typically used as their outbound caller ID.
The routing number that identifies the switch actually serving a telephone number after number portability, used to route ported calls correctly.
The rate at which new call attempts are offered to a network, and one of the clearest early indicators of an automated dialing campaign.
The percentage of call attempts that are actually answered, used as both a route-quality measure and a fraud indicator.
The mean length of answered calls, used alongside ASR to distinguish genuine conversations from automated or fraudulent traffic.
The SIP response code indicating the call was declined outright, commonly returned when a carrier blocks a call rather than failing to connect it.
SipShield applies patented AI scoring to live SIP signaling so attestation, blocking, and traceback evidence happen automatically on your switch.