Be careful when meeting in cyberspace
As we are all being cautious to protect ourselves and loved ones from contracting COVID-19, we must also be careful not to let intruders invade our virtual lives.
It is unimaginable that a child’s online class could be hijacked by pornographic images, or a virtual community meeting can suddenly be bombarded by racial slurs and hateful messages.
Sadly, these things are happening ‒ here in Delaware and across the world ‒ as we are leveraging more virtual meeting platforms. As if living in the era of the coronavirus isn’t already stressful enough! In the age of social distancing, these applications meet a critical need and allow us to continue to deliver vital services, as well as provide opportunities for unprecedented levels of collaboration.
There are many different easy-to-use platforms available, even for the not so technically savvy, making virtual meetings accessible for everyone. Unfortunately, they have also created opportunities for bad actors to take advantage of vulnerabilities.
Staying safe online is just as important now as it has ever been, and that includes when selecting and using virtual meeting tools. We must be sure to educate ourselves on the various platforms, functions and settings available when hosting virtual meetings.
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind to help secure your meetings: Use a unique meeting ID; require a password; require authentication so only those who have registered and have a password can access the meeting, and do not publish the password; create a virtual waiting room for screening purposes; disable features you do not need, such as chat or file sharing; manage screen sharing and audio options so only those given permissions can share their screens; and be sure the software you are using is patched and up to date.
Software providers have a variety of educational tutorials available, so be sure to take full advantage of those resources. The bottom line is: Take your time and educate yourself about the platform you are using. Familiarize yourself with the various security settings and controls to customize them to best suit your needs, as well as to optimize the experience for everyone.
To that end, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has a resource center that provides guidelines and tips for teleworking and securing online meetings. Delaware’s Department of Technology and Information also provides guidance on online meetings and other resources at www.Digiknow.delaware.gov, to help you create an optimal virtual work environment.
Although this era of remote work and online gatherings presents its share of challenges, it also creates an empowering environment for us to come together, to stay connected and informed. As we look forward to the post-COVID-19 world where we can physically get together again, we can be assured that virtual meetings are here to stay.
As the police captain on the old television show “Hill Street Blues” (showing my age here) implored his officers at the beginning of every shift, “Be careful out there.” We will get through this together.
