How to Make Your Video Chats More Secure
Video chatting and telecommuting applications are currently in use around the world, but as we’ve learned over the past few weeks, they can pose a security risk. Recent reports of “zumombirovanii” and filling the accounts raised concerns about the number of applications for video chatting, but the worry is necessary not only for hackers and trolls : you should also be wary of companies that own these platforms.
How businesses can use data from your video chats
Zoom has received its fair share of fair criticism for its vague security measures, but a recent Consumer Reports article pointed out that teleconferencing apps from Google (Meet, Duo, and Hangout), Microsoft (Teams and Skype), and Cisco (WebEx) are not suitable. not better. According to each company’s privacy policy, they can all:
- Register the IP address and / or usernames for all participants in the call and how long the call lasted, who is calling it; and each IP address or Internet address.
- Create consumer profiles based on personal account information that can be sold to advertisers and other companies.
- Access to audio files if users request transcription.
- Use the recorded audio of users who have agreed to improve voice recognition and, in some cases, do the same with saved videos.
Even if we give these companies an opportunity to doubt and assume that they are processing your personal information and causing the data responsibly, the fact that any of that data is stored in the first place poses a risk – all it takes is one accidental leak. to compromise your account and your data.
However, there are ways to keep yourself safe.
How to make sure your video chat app is safe
If you don’t like the privacy policies of Google, Microsoft, and Cisco, look for teleconferencing apps that prioritize privacy, such as Zoho. Mozilla even has a detailed guide that ranks video chat apps for security .
However, you don’t have to ditch Meet, Teams, or Webex if you use smart data protection practices. Here are a few more suggestions to help protect your home work apps, according to Consumer Reports and our own previous review:
- Create accounts / emails with a minimum amount of personal information and make sure they are kept separate from your main accounts.
- If possible, join the calls as a “guest”.
- Whenever possible, use password protection for meetings to keep trolls and zombies out .
- Whenever possible, mute / unmute the camera and microphone both during calls and when you are not using the app. Disable wired webcams and microphones, or block the built-in cameras of your laptop with tape or stickers.
- Create a unique password and use an encrypted password manager to keep it safe. This is especially important in light of the recent Zoom hack .
- Use the most secure settings — whether it’s limiting an app’s access to your microphone, camera, and other features, or opting out of product “enhancement” programs that allow businesses to access your calls and / or recordings.
- Do not follow links in public Zoom chats .
[ Consumer Reports ]