As the majority of the workforce moves online during the COVID-19 pandemic, online video conference calls are fast becoming the norm in business communications. Video conference apps like Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts are now essential software for many businesses, with plenty of teams using them for everything from quick catch ups to client meetings and presentations.
In spite of this, many businesses and users have concerns about their safety and privacy when using such apps. In April, the Australian Signals Directorate urged businesses to exercise caution when choosing a video conference app, explaining that failure to do so could expose them to a breadth of cyber security threats. To explain how to choose a secure conference call app and outline the best secure video calling apps, we’ve teamed up with the cyber security experts at ESET. Read on for their take on Google Hangouts, Skype, and Zoom security and discover their top cyber security tips for video conferences now.
The most popular video conference call apps
If you’ve joined an online video conference call or group conference call in the past few months, chances are you’ve used Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, or a combination of all three. When it comes to cyber security, each of these have their own pros and cons.
Zoom
The popularity of Zoom has risen rapidly over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, with active daily user figures increasing from 10 million to 200 million since global lockdowns began. In response to early teething issues relating to the surge in popularity, such as unauthorised entrants to video meetings and camera access issues, the company has since released a number of updated Zoom security measures.
The result? A more secure conference call app that features robust cyber security measures designed to protect users and sensitive data, including geofencing, the hiding of meeting ID numbers, and the ability to manually authorise – and remove – meeting participants.
Google Hangouts
An online video conference call platform that enables users to make and join calls without downloading an app, Hangouts is an easy-to-use platform that has long been used for remote working. Because it belongs to the Google suite of products, it can be easily integrated with other services like Gmail and Google Calendar, and has a number of stringent in-built security measures including encryption of all data and conversations.
Together, these features make Hangouts one of the best secure video calling apps for anyone who doesn’t want to download additional software.
Skype
As the oldest of the voice and video calling platforms, this Microsoft-owned software is a tried and tested solution for secure conference calls. Still, there are a number of known Skype security vulnerabilities, the most concerning of which is the fact that the software does not use end-to-end encryption. Instead, data is decrypted when it reaches Microsoft’s servers, potentially leaving your sensitive information exposed to prying eyes.
On the other hand, Skype does use multi-factor authentication as a default, unlike either of the other two apps on this list.
5 cyber security tips for video conferences
Once you’ve chosen the best video conference call app for your particular needs, it’s critical to ensure the security of your calls and conversations by taking a few easy cyber security measures. Our top 5 tips for Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts security are:
- Password-protect all meetings and authenticate users. If your chosen app allows you to, configure call settings to prevent guests from joining before the meeting host, and always lock access to your meeting once all participants have joined the call.
- Require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users of a business account and choose a secure, robust password that cannot be easily guessed.
- Never publicly share meeting links or security credentials. Where possible, provide these via a secure messaging app or encrypted email platform.
- Use a VPN to create a secure, private connection between you and your colleagues.
- Use IT security software as backup to ensure that even if a cyber attacker does target your business through a video conferencing app, your sensitive data is secure. Solutions like ESET Secure Business, ESET Threat Intelligence, and ESET Secure Authentication can help you achieve this goal with ease.
Stay connected without sacrificing your cyber security
Group video conference calls are a great way to stay connected with your team and share important business updates during these uncertain, unprecedented times. To ensure that these benefits don’t come at the cost of your business’ cyber security, follow our easy cyber security tips and encourage your team members to do the same.
To learn which ESET IT security software can help consolidate your efforts to maintain your cyber security during the COVID-19 pandemic, contact ESET today!
