June 25, 2025
FCC Targets Loophole in Non-IP Call Authentication Infrastructure
As telecommunication technology becomes more secure, scammers and cybercriminals must find loopholes to exploit the systems and target consumers. After the implementation of STIR/SHAKEN, it didn’t take long for criminals to find a loophole in the framework. By routing calls through non-IP networks, they could often mask spoofing attempts and deceive call authentication technology.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed to enforce an effective call authorization framework that closes the loophole. Even with this proposal, implementing the technology and enforcing new rules will take time.
Challenges With Non-IP Call Authentication
People outside of the telecom industry might wonder why STIR/SHAKEN can’t already vet caller identities and prevent illegal robocalls that get routed through non-IP networks.
Unfortunately, that’s a vulnerability in STIR/SHAKEN.
With the current system, information about a call’s origin gets passed through a SIP header as it moves through different networks. That process only works with VoIP networks. If the call passes through a non-IP network, the SIP information gets lost. At that point, no one can fully verify the caller’s identity. That flaw creates enormous opportunities for scammers.
If scammers want to bombard consumers with robocalls, they just need to find a non-IP network that makes their identities and call origins ambiguous.
Compliance Updates to Close Loophole
Bringing all service providers into compliance with new FCC rules will take time. To a large extent, service providers get to decide how they comply with regulations. As long as their non-IP technology cooperates with STIR/SHAKEN and doesn’t drop digital footprints, the FCC will likely accept their strategies. Whether those strategies will work over the upcoming years, though, isn’t known.
The FCC could potentially force all service providers to adopt IP-based networks. So far, it hasn’t taken that position, though. In fact, the FCC has granted waivers to companies that say they lack available solutions. The FCC would need to take a much more proactive stance to enforce new regulations.
Tracking a Call’s Digital Footprint
There is some good news for organizations worried about the negative effects non-IP call authentication could have on their brand reputations and the public’s trust.
STIR/SHAKEN already gives suspicious calls low attestation levels. If a call originates from outside of a service provider’s network, it will receive the lowest rating — C, also called gateway attestation. When a network can’t track a call’s digital footprint, it should automatically give that call a low attestation level.
In most cases, that means caller ID screens will warn consumers with messages like “spam likely” and “possible spam.” Many service providers will block calls that don’t have the highest attestation level.
Unfortunately, not all service providers take these protective measures, so there are still opportunities for scammers to spoof your phone number and defraud consumers in your name.
How Robocalls Affect Consumers and Businesses
Every organization that places outbound calls should worry about the harmful effects of robocalls.
In April 2025, U.S. consumers received almost 5 billion robocalls. Many of those calls are more than annoyances. During the first quarter of 2025, people lost about $280 million to phone scams. Not surprisingly, robocalls damage consumer trust.
That’s a significant problem for companies placing outbound calls. As long as public trust remains low, you’ll find it harder to reach leads, customers, and clients.
Adding Rich Call Data (RCD) can certainly help. The more information a person’s caller ID screen shows them, the more likely they are to answer. With RCD, you can include your company’s logo, the reason for placing the call, and other information that encourages consumers to answer calls.
Unfortunately, the rise of number spoofing and AI voice-cloning scams could undermine the trust that legitimate organizations have worked so hard to earn. Since you want your contact center to reach more people, it’s important to fight against robocalls and embrace regulations that protect consumers.
Maintaining Brand Reputation in Dialing
The lack of non-IP call authentication remains a threat to all organizations that want to engage their customer bases. Unfortunately, this problem will remain until the FCC can completely close the loophole.
However, you can take steps to help maintain brand reputation in dialing. Some of the most important things you can do include:
- Following ethical dialing practices so your numbers don’t get flagged as robocalls
- Registering for enhanced caller ID services that show consumers information like the name of your company, your company logo, and which department is making the call
- Monitoring phone numbers to catch negative call labels
- Remediating negative phone number flags so they don’t stand between your call center and consumers
- Auditing attestation ratings and rich call data to improve the chances of connecting with customers
Caller ID Reputation can help your contact center with all of these steps. Our products include phone number monitoring, real-time reporting, phone number scoring, and screenshots of real devices. Our experts can even help with number redress and remediation, which are often laborious processes.
Want to protect your phone numbers while the FCC closes STIR/SHAKEN loopholes? Schedule a demo to see how Caller ID Reputation can meet your needs.
