With virtual meetings booming, applications like Zoom and Skype are seeing a lot of growth in terms of demand. Most of the professional organizations make use of Zoom for their virtual meeting needs, while Skype is used extensively for both personal as well as professional needs. With the increase in video conferencing, there is also an increase in the cases of associated cyber threats.
You may have come across news reports of cyber-attack called ‘zoom-bombing’ wherein cybercriminals hijack Zoom video conference calls to show undesirable content. This problem has become way too common these days. People also exploit video calls for financial gains. Some people just enjoy pranking innocent people. Whatever may be the reasons, the threat is real. It is your duty to make sure that you don’t suffer from it. And we will help you with that. Keep reading!
Always use a virtual background
Virtual backgrounds come in handy in a number of situations. They help you hide the mess that is your actual background. They will also help to keep everything professional. But they can also be used for increasing your privacy and security during video calls. Enabling a virtual background will prevent your actual space from being exposed to online threats.
Enabling a virtual background is a pretty easy and straightforward process. While this feature required green screens in the past, now you can enable the feature without a green screen. You just need a well-lit room with uniform lighting. Most of the applications offer free as well as ready to purchase backgrounds.
The types of backgrounds include conference rooms, home offices, coffee shops, etc. Some applications even offer novelty backgrounds like museums, beaches, landscapes, etc, if you like fancier things. Backgrounds for Microsoft Teams and Zoom can be applied with just a few clicks.
Control the exposure of the meeting
Most of the professional video conferences begin when you visit the appropriate link send to you ahead of time by the host. Without the link, it is not possible to participate in the video conference. These links are usually sent by email. The best way to keep the meeting private is to share the link with only those who are intended to participate in the meeting.
Make sure that the link does not leak in any way. Forward the link to the correct people yourself and give strict instructions to not share the link without prior permission. Use some kind of lobby facility so that you can decide who gets to participate even if they have the link. For instance, Zoom’s call waiting feature allows only you to let people into the virtual conference room.
Ask the participants to use their real names when preparing to enter the conference room. Once you know that everyone who is supposed to be in the meeting has been included, don’t allow anyone else to enter. You can apply this feature automatically in Zoom by enabling the locking feature.
Double-check default settings
Many people don’t bother to be informed about the default settings in the applications before using it. In the case of video conferencing, you need to avoid this because the risks are high. Always double-check the settings before you join any virtual meetings and choose the most secure options for your meetings. Apply lobby facilities and enable locking after all the participants have entered the conference. Also, disable the ‘Join before host’ option so that people won’t be able to begin the meeting without you.
By following these simple yet effective tips, you will be able to securely enjoy video conferences.
