Video conferencing security 101

Like any IP-based technology, multipoint video conferencing is subject to security threats, and IT managers must factor security into their purchase and deployment decisions. Last year, there was a lot of talk around thepotential vulnerabilities of room-based systems. This year, I’m hearing a number of concerns around WebRTC building security into browser-based communications.

Sally Johnson of TechTarget wrote an interesting piece on WebRTC and the security issues at hand. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but for now, WebRTC remains a technology of the future. In the meantime, there are a number of ways to keep your cloud-based video conferencing secure – whether you’re in IT or just a daily user of the technology.

When it comes to room-based systems, the first and most important precaution that anyone can take is to turn the ‘auto-answer’ function off – especially if your systems are connected to the public Internet. IT should be aware of this, and Scopia systems always automatically default the auto-answer function to ‘off.’ We take security very seriously, and we have several built-in security features that are seamless to end users.

But it’s also good to know how you – the end user – can help protect your virtual meeting software rooms. Below are five tips for keeping your Video conferencing room secure.

1. Set room systems to manual answer, mute your mics when not in use, and make sure whiteboards in conference rooms are wiped clean after each meeting.

2. Use a virtual room with moderator capabilities instead of point-to-point calling – using a virtual room opens up a plethora of security options that are intuitive and easy-to-use.

3. Create a lobby for your meeting – no one can join without the moderator.

4. Require participants to use personal identification numbers (PINs) when entering your virtual room.

5. Familiarize yourself with the meeting moderation functions  of your virtual room:

• Anyone not invited to a meeting would not be allowed entrance into the meeting.
• You can use ad-hoc functions to lock your meeting – for example, one click of your mouse or one tap on your iPhone will lock down the meeting so no one else can enter.
• If you want to remove a participant, all you need to do is click again or swipe on our iPhone, and they are ejected from the call.=

Some of these may seem intuitive, but it’s easy to forget you have these options available in your virtual meeting room. The good news is you don’t need to be an IT administrator to make sure your meeting room is secure. You just need to follow the simple steps above.

Article Source: Video conferencing security 101