The impact of the COVID-19 emergency has created a number of challenges for Atlanta businesses. Forced closures have resulted in businesses either shutting down completely or transitioning to a remote workplace format. While necessary, the transition to a remote environment has opened the door to unexpected concerns about security.
One example of this is the recent issues many have faced with Zoom. Due to a security issue with the platform, business meetings have been interrupted by unidentified individuals sharing lewd photos and other explicit materials. It also reflects the lack of knowledge by many on how to use various tools to enhance security. While an issue for meetings, there are also concerns about how to maintain security with many personal devices added to the equation. The good news is there are steps that can reduce the chance of issues occurring. To help clients, prospects, and others, Windham Brannon has provided tips to help businesses manage security concerns below.
Securing Remote Meetings
Now that more meetings are being conducted online it is important to protect against nuisances and other threats. To reduce risk, it is important to:
- Ensure employees are following the organization’s policies for virtual meeting security. If the company does not have a formal policy, then it’s important to create one as quickly as possible.
- Regularly implement available updates to meeting software.
- Limit access to calendar details and other important information.
- Prevent the reuse of meeting access codes. Since many have used the same access code over the past months, it is likely been shared with dozens of people.
- Take advantage of a “lobby” or “waiting room” feature which prevents the meeting from starting until the host approves each individual to join.
- Dashboards are important because they allow the host to see all attendees at any time.
- Make sure meetings are not recorded unless necessary.
- Encourage participants to close all documents containing client or other sensitive information not appropriate for sharing.
What about Sensitive Meetings?
The above are important guidelines for all employees to follow for general meetings. However, when it comes to meetings that involve the discussion of a sensitive topic, there are additional guidelines to follow. This includes using only approved virtual meeting services, provide PINs or passwords for each attendee, rely on the dashboard feature to monitor attendees, encrypt recordings, password enabling decryption and removing recordings saved by the provider.
Securing the Environment
In addition to virtual meetings, it is important to also assess broader security concerns at play, including:
- Formalize working from home and remote work policies.
- Be sure staff only uses encrypted wireless connections where the owner is known and trusted.
- Ensure staff stays connected to the company’s Virtual Private Network (VPN).
- Ensure that employees keep work data on work computers only and do not share between personal and work computers.
- Require that all sensitive data in emails and on devices are encrypted.
- Require employees not to use random thumb drives or other unsecured devices.
Contact Us
It’s clear there is a need to minimize security issues in the virtual meeting and remote workplace to minimize risks. If your business has already experienced cybersecurity issues or would like to enhance existing protections, Windham Brannon can help. For additional information please call us at 404-898-2000 or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
