Securing customer data is an essential task for any business. Video conferencing systems must provide methods for keeping all of the content shared in a video conference confidential. Following are the most important considerations when evaluating video conferencing security.
Securing Data Storage
The first level of security for video conferencing deals with how data is secured in storage. Video conferencing data should be maintained in a separate network that has its own level of security. Make sure that the data is segregated and locked-down appropriately. Talk with your vendor or hosted video conferencing service to determine the data storage security protocol for their system.
Securing Data Transmission
While video conference information travels over the internet or through your company network, it is exposed to being intercepted and released or stolen. To protect your data during transmission across these networks, it must be encrypted. The level of encryption used should be based on the security requirements of your business.
Starting with the most secure environments, such as military or law enforcement, the level of encryption will be the highest. In some cases the tools used to encrypt data are hardware-based and not available in the public sector.
While you definitely need to have a secure system that uses encryption, you probably will not need the highest level of encryption for your data transmission. Just make sure that the video conferencing system you choose meets a verifiable encryption standard that is appropriate for the security level of your business.
Issues with Telephone vs. Internet Security
Most video conferencing systems will use either telephone system technology, such as ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), or internet-based systems that use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology. In either case, there are basic security issues involving data transmission between each component in the system.
Some systems, particularly hosted video conferencing systems, use their own proprietary data networks that allow them to maintain the highest security protocols for their data storage and transmission. If you are seeking the highest level of security for your system, you may want to start with a thorough review of the security levels offered by hosted video conferencing providers.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that your video conferencing data is a valuable asset for your organization and your customers. Under any legal or good business practice standard, you must keep that data secure. Be sure to verify and maintain the appropriate level of security in your system at all times.
