Phone Conferencing Security Tips

Along with the security measures discussed in the previous section, there are even more things you can do to achieve a high level of phone conference security.

• Change access codes regularly. For highest security levels, use new access codes for each conference.
• Consider a two-stage entry process, where participants are first brought into a virtual "lounge" area and then welcomed into the conference. This allows the moderator to see who plans to attend and to block uninvited guests.
• Don't allow the conference to begin until the moderator logs in.
• Activate sound alerts to notify the moderator when someone enters or leaves the conference.
• Use a Web interface that shows exactly who is logged into the call, when they arrive and when they leave.
• Consider using dial-out conferencing for smaller phone conferences that require high security.
• At the call's end, disconnect all lines to make sure everyone leaves the conference.

[sources: allconferencing and indosoft]

Despite all these technical precautions, phone conference security often comes down to a matter of trust. According to a study by the American Society for Industrial Security, current employees with direct access to confidential information are the leading perpetrators of information theft, followed by computer hackers [source: ASIS International].

© Photographer: Oleksandr Kalyna | Agency: Dreamstime Change access codesfrequently, and only give themout to trusted sources.

PINs and access codes should only be distributed to trusted sources. And even then, they should be changed and rotated out regularly. There have been several high-profile cases of former employees using their old access codes to log into corporate phone conferences long after they had been fired. This type of unauthorized access can easily be prevented by frequently swapping out old access codes and PINs.

Now let's talk about securing information after phone conferences.