Video calls are very present in the day to day of many private users and also companies or organizations. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought important changes and one of them is the way we communicate thanks to technology. However, this also implies changes regarding security. We are going to talk in this article about what to do and what not to do when we make a video call and want to protect our safety.
What to do to make a video call safely
First of all we are going to explain what to do when we go to make a video call and keep security in mind at all times. Some basic aspects but that are fundamental to avoid making mistakes that could weigh down our privacy.
Use official and safe applications
A first step is to install and use only official services . It is true that sometimes we can find third-party tools that may have certain interesting functionalities, but the important thing is to use exclusively programs that are safe and official.
In addition, whenever we are going to install any type of software related to video calls, we need to download it from sources that are official, such as the pages of the platforms themselves or official stores.
Protect accounts with passwords
It is also essential to protect our accounts correctly to make secure video calls. The password is the main security barrier. We must create keys that have letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers and other special symbols. All this randomly.
We can make use of password managers to create and manage the keys correctly. They are very useful programs that help us improve the security of our accounts at all times.
Enable two-step authentication
But beyond creating good passwords, we must also activate two-step authentication . We have more and more services and platforms that allow us to enable this feature. It adds an extra layer of security, since in case someone knew our password, they would also need a second step to enter.
That second step is usually a code that we receive by SMS, for example. One more way to verify that we are a legitimate user and not an intruder trying to access a third party account.
Use protected equipment
This is very important. It is essential to use devices that are properly protected . By this we mean that they have antivirus installed, are updated and do not have any type of threat. Otherwise we could put our data at risk.
Errors when making a video call and that affect security
We must also mention some important errors when making a video call and that could seriously affect our security. All this that we are going to indicate must be avoided if we want to protect our accounts.
Trust any link we receive
We should never trust any link we receive. By this we mean the links that can be sent to us in a conversation, for example. They could contain malware, redirect to a website that is Phishing and affect our security.
But you also have to be careful with the links to join a video call. We should only access when we are sure of the user who sent it to us and it is not an attempted scam. There are many attacks while making a video call that could affect us.
Connect from unprotected public networks
Nor should we connect to a public Wi-Fi network without being properly protected. We do not really know who may be behind that network and how it could compromise our security when making a video call.
If we have to connect to public networks we can always use VPN tools. In this way we will ensure that the connection is encrypted correctly and not have any type of problem.
Use non-updated devices
Another issue to keep in mind and that we should never do is use devices without updating . There are many threats that in one way or another can compromise our devices. Hackers can take advantage of these flaws to carry out their attacks.
We always need to install all the patches that are available. This way we will correct those vulnerabilities and prevent our computers from being compromised.
Adding additional features without knowing if they are secure
Video calling programs can have many additional features that may seem interesting. However, we must always make sure what we are installing. We should never add any kind of software that may be unsafe .
In short, these are some tips on what to do and what not to make video calls with total security on the network. We must avoid making mistakes.