Secure Conference Call Best Practices to Protect Your Business

More likely than not, all kinds of information are being discussed in various conference calls. You might talk about customary details in some meetings, but you could also talk about sensitive information in some. You might be dealing with client information, employee data, trade secrets and intellectual property, operational data, and more information that should not be taken lightly. These are significant data that help build your business, and if you fail to protect and handle them with such regard, you are putting your business at risk.

To make sure your effective conference calls are secure, here are best conference call practices to protect your business:

• Use a secure large conference call provider

To protect your business when it comes to conference calls, you need to use a secure large conference call provider every time. To neglect this most fundamental practice is to put your company at risk. You need a conference call provider that can handle a high volume of participants, all the while maintaining security measures along with other top-notch conferencing capabilities.

• Record the conference call

The next practice you should always keep in mind is to record the call. Fortunately, many conference call services allow you the recording of conference calls. Conference call recordings can be used as official documentation, making sure that every sensitive information, opinions, or concerns in the meeting are accounted for. It can also serve as evidence in any case of dispute or misunderstanding with a co-employee or even a client.  

• Make sure to use a discreet meeting name

Using discreet names for the meetings is also a wise move and precaution. Emails and online calendars can be hacked or easily viewed by unauthorized personnel. Using a seemingly normal meeting name, like “Monday Social Meeting”, instead of the most obvious ones, like “Overview of Formula and Design for New Product”, is safer. You could also make use of abbreviations or shorthands. This way, only those in your company or the specific meeting will know what to make sense of these. 

• Pay attention when sharing pins and codes

Share pins and access codes only to those who are participating in the call. The less people know about it the better, especially for more sensitive meetings and sessions. Don’t send it to every employee and make sure your method of sending is secure. 

• Do a roll call

Before you start the conference call, make sure to do a roll call. A roll call will help you determine the number of participants and their names, which makes the process easier even though you’re not in the same room. It’s also a great way to make sure everyone is ready to start for the meeting. 

• Monitor who’s on call and who’s talking

Some conference call services offer an online dashboard or a call hub that can help you manage the call in a more secure way. These online dashboards and call hubs can help you monitor the participants on the call. Some can also help you determine who’s currently speaking for more transparency. Alternatively, you can have operator assisted conference calls help you out.

• Utilize sub-conference

Other conference call providers also offer sub-conference features. With sub-conferences, presenters or hosts can meet pre-conference or post-conference to discuss other confidential matters not meant for everyone’s ears. This can be a great strategy to practice to protect your business and help you prevent information from leaking. 

• Review reports and summaries

Last but not the least, you should review reports and summaries. Materials like meeting minutes, audio recordings, and attendance reports can help you make sure that everything in the meeting is accurate and is in the hands of the right people. Reviewing these materials can make sure your conference call was secure. 

Conference calls are convenient, yes, but if you’re careless, you could be facing negative consequences sooner or later. Be smart and be vigilant when it comes to sensitive information and practice secure conference calls today!