The big buzz word these days in the news is security, so I thought it might be appropriate to spend a little time to discuss conference call security. In general conference calls are pretty secure. It israther difficult to tap into a conference call from the conference call service provider side of things. The conference call equipment is located in a secure environment, its directly connected to carrier networks and each piece of conference call service equipment has thousands of participants on hundreds of calls. It would be pretty difficult to tap into a piece of conference call service equipment unless you are an operator for the conference call service company and listen in on a particular conference call. That having been said, there are some people who want to make sure that their conference call is secure so here are some options on making a conference call even more secure.
- Change the conference call passcode frequently – Many people use the same conference call pass code for all of their conference calls. Like any password you have it is good practice to regularly change the passcode so that it cannot be compromised.
- Add a PIN number to the conference call passcode – With some conference call service companies you can add an additional PIN number for each participant that requires them to input in order to join the conference call. This adds a layer of security and identifies them on the conference call.
- Lock the conference call – Most conference call service companies allow you to lock the conference call so that additional participants cannot enter the conference call after it is locked. This feature usually locks out any operators from the conference call service company as well.
- Monitor the conference call from your PC – Some conference call service companies provide a feature that allows you to monitor and control your conference call through a web interface on your PC. That way you can see the participants and make sure that only the participants you have invited are on the conference call.
- Roll Call – Whether using a PC interface or through the telephone you can usually automate a roll call with the participants on a conference call so that you know who is on the call.
- Music on Hold – If you are concerned about the participants being able to speak before the Moderator joins or use the conference call information without the Moderator you can make it so that the conference call will not start without the Moderator and keeps the participants on hold with music.
- End Conference when Moderator Exits – You can also configure a conference call so that when the Moderator exits the conference call ends and hangs up on the remaining participants. This will also prevent the participants from being able to hold a conference call without the Moderator.
Even with all of these options there is no guarantee of security as someone could tap into an individual phone line like any phone conversation, but these conference call security measures will prevent the majority of any security concerns on a conference call. All of these features are available with Zip Conferencing.