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Security

A Guide to Conference Call Security

Every modern organisation must be security-conscious in their dealings to avoid compromising themselves, losing sensitive data, or worse compromising their amongst many other reasons. This applies not only to internal IT systems but also to conference calls undertaken with colleagues and/or customers.

The range of options provided by 247meeting for the security of your calls is comprehensive and ranges from the basic built-in security features to bespoke one-off conference call booking for maximum security.

Basic:

Each conference call account has two levels of PIN code, Host and Guest. The most important distinction is that the call cannot start without the Host dialling in, as all Guests are put on hold music until the Host dials in. This avoids sensitive information being discussed without the Host (who is typically the organiser) being present.

Even with this basic level of security in place we recommend some do's and don'ts:

• Do assign accounts to individual named users. As well as being easier to track in reports end-users are more likely to safeguard personalised details than a shared or generic account
• Don't share a generic account within a department or group. This is similar to sharing a PC login or email account, and runs the additional risk of two separate groups scheduling conflicting conference calls at the same time
• Don't give out your Host code to anyone else. This could allow anyone else to use your account whenever they want without your knowledge
• Do assign separate accounts to users even if they only want to hold a single conference call. There's no cost associated and it can be done online or by customer service

More advanced:

The following are more advanced configurations and features that can be used before or during your conference call:

• Entry tone: this plays a discreet tone when callers enter, to let everyone know another caller has joined (eg the Host can ask who has joined)
• Name on Entry (or Exit): callers are prompted to record their name as they enter the conference (eg "Mary has entered the conference"), identifying each one positively
• Lock Conference: If this feature is configured on your account you can use *7 to lock your conference call, meaning no further callers can join
• Roll Call: The Host can initiate an automatic Roll Call by pressing *8. If Name on Entry is configured a list of names is read to the Host, if not a count of total callers is read to the Host.
• Host Hangup: Press ## (hash key twice) and all callers are played a message then disconnected. A Host might want to use this at the end of a conference call to ensure that there are no Guests left on the call (accidentally or otherwise). It can also be used when one caller has put their line on Hold and is playing Hold Music into the entire conference.
• Automatic Host Hangup: If this is enabled when the Host hangs up, all callers are disconnected without any message. This ensures maximum security, but could be frustrating in the event that the Host is disconnected accidentally ( eg if travelling on a train).

Advanced:

247meeting provides an online Conference Call Scheduler to allow you to book single-use conference calls. These are the exact same as the standard conference calls described above, but are valid only for the booked duration, meaning the PIN codes do not function outside of these times. To configure this for your account please contact us.