How to Improve the Security of Your Calling Technology

Most businesses host conference calls on a regular basis, meeting with clients, relaying instructions to teammates, and providing updates to investors and partners. Conference calls are highly convenient and an effective way to facilitate communication between multiple parties. But if you aren’t careful, they could also be a security vulnerability.

Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take to make your conference calls more secure.

Increasing Security for Your Conference Calls

These strategies can all make sure your conference calls are more private and more secure:

• Invest in the right platforms. First, make sure you’re relying on the right platforms. Good conference call software will be developed with security as a main priority. There will be multiple security options for you to customize, and there should be regular updates to make sure the software remains protected against new cyberthreats. If you’re using cloud-hosted apps for any stage of the conference calling process, make sure you understand the basic tenets of cloud security.
• Change access codes regularly. If you’re using a standard conference line, you might be able to use an access code to make sure all your users end up in the same room. It’s tempting to keep the same access code indefinitely, so you don’t have to go through the trouble of writing down and accessing something new every time, but this can eventually pose a security risk. Instead, try to change your access codes on a regular basis.
• Keep users on hold until you arrive. Keeping users on hold with some background music isn’t just a traditional courtesy; it’s also a security feature. Your attendees should be unable to start a discussion or hear your conversations until you arrive and formally start the meeting.
• Rely on a “name on entry” feature. If it’s available, make use of the “name on entry” feature of your conference calling software. When enabled, this will prompt each user to record their name as an introduction. When the user officially joins the call, their name will be provided to the other attendees. This is useful for keeping track of who’s currently on the call (and who’s yet to join), and for introducing people to one another.
• Lock the call. Most conference call providers also give you the option to “lock” the call once all your attendees have arrived. This prevents any other people from joining, even if they try to join stealthily. It’s a simple step, but one that can keep your call more secure.
• Completely end the call when over. When the conference call is over, you’ll be tempted to hang up and move on with the rest of your day. However, it’s possible that your other attendees could linger on, creating a security risk. Make sure you take the necessary measures to completely end the conference call when you’re done.
• Avoid speakerphone and public locations. Using the speakerphone option on your phone isn’t just rude (in most locations), it could also pose a security risk. Talking on speakerphone even if it seems like nobody’s around could leave your call vulnerable to eavesdroppers. The same is true if you’re on the call in a public location. For the sake of both security and etiquette, make sure you’re taking all your conference calls in a private location, preferably a moderately soundproof one, and without speakerphone enabled.
• Don’t forget about recordings. These days, most companies intentionally record all their conference calls. This is good, because it allows you to reference your discussions in the future. However, it could also be a security risk if these recordings fall into the wrong hands. Make sure you store them on a secure cloud platform, and secure them with a strong password.

Educating Your Employees

You may have all the right systems in place and the willingness to follow these important security strategies, but you likely aren’t the only person making conference calls on a regular basis. If you want to be confident in your conference call security, you need to take measures to ensure all your employees are following these procedures as well. Create a document with formal operating guidelines, and conduct periodic reviews to make sure your employees are following them.