Security Consideration
Just because the world is experiencing a pandemic doesn’t mean that nefarious individuals will just stop trying to get your data and exploit you whenever possible. In this virtual age when many of us are locked away at home, there has never been such importance to take steps to protect yourself and your data. Now, having someone hack into your conference call and steal files is one concern, but another potential issue is what they may see on your camera. Having USB cameras is not the only thing you need, but how to use the camera safely for a conference call is also important. If you have sensitive data in the room you are using or even if you don’t want strangers seeing it inside your house, you will need to take precautions. Below are a few things to take into consideration before hosting a virtual conference call in order to minimize the chances of a potential data breach. All of the following are simple precautions that should help keep you and your company safe.

Try to control who has access to join

As you may already know, video conferences are typically set up with a link or code that is shared with the desired participants. They then either click the link or enter the code and they are in, simple as that. It is because it’s so simple that makes it so easy for undesirables to take advantage. If you send out the code or link so a large group of people with no warnings, they will likely share it with anyone who either lost or didn’t receive it initially without a second thought. This is how other parties gain access, all they have to do is find someone who will be attending the meeting and act as if they lost their link.

To avoid this, when sending out the link or code, be sure to tell the attendees to use their real name when joining and not share the link with anyone unless they are certain they know them.

Another step that is important to take is to lock the call down once all members have joined, preventing anyone else from sneaking in.

Use a virtual background

As we mentioned before, you may want to hide what is in your background, whether it be because you have sensitive data on show or even if you simply don’t want anyone looking into your home. In the past, people would use something like a sheet or a greenscreen to cover up the area behind them, but nowadays you can simply use a virtual green screen without the need or having a physical screen in your home simply by using a service like Hello Backgrounds: https://www.hellobackgrounds.com/zoom-backgrounds

This allows you to set a custom background that will hide anything behind you while keeping your face and body in view, allowing you to have a productive meeting without the fear of anyone seeing being you.

Check the call settings.

Finally, and most importantly, you will need to check and double-check your call settings. Most vulnerabilities in virtual meetings are exploited because the participants did not take a few minutes to go over the settings and ensure that the call was secure. Before you join any call make sure you check out the settings and change them to the most secure options. If you are hosting a call, be sure to deselect the ‘Join Before Host’ option to stop anyone from getting in the call without you and potentially tricking members.

Following the advice in this article, you can greatly reduce the threat of any potential data breaches. Remember to pass this information on to anyone who may be attending the meeting with you to ensure that everyone is vigilant and aware of what needs to be done to remain secure.