A lot has changed in the business world in the last two weeks. As more and more workers are allowed — or forced — to work from home due to the Coronavirus pandemic, teleworking and videoconferencing have become the new normal.
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Empowering employees to work remotely and hold virtual meetings has a number of benefits, but there are risks that you should be aware of, too. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wants to help you mitigate those risks.
In a post this week the Institute shared a number of steps you can take to keep virtual meetings as secure as possible. It all starts with making smart choices when you create the meeting.
Options differ depending on which app you’re using to conduct your meeting, but do your best to limit features that you won’t need during your meeting. If there’s no need for screen or file sharing, for example, turn them off.
By now hopefully you’re aware that re-using passwords is a very bad idea. The same goes for meeting access codes. Use fresh codes every time and, if possible, require your attendees to join using PINs or one-time use codes.
It’s also imperative to know who’s joined the meeting. Keep the app’s dashboard visible so unidentified attendees don’t go unnoticed. And as annoying as those audible alerts when someone joins are when you’re having a big meeting, don’t turn them off. Take the time to verify whether the person who just joined should be watching or listening.
The institute offers several other tips and has put together a nice infographic to help guide you through “The Conference Call Security Highway.”
While you’re there, take the time to familiarize yourself with the NIST’s telework guidance. Cybersecurity starts with the person sitting behind the keyboard — so read up and make sure you’re ready to deal with the realities of remoting.
