Microsoft Teams - Best Practices for Securing Meetings

Securing Microsoft Teams Meetings to Prevent Uninvited Guests and Minimize Disruptions

In the ever-evolving landscape of remote collaboration, Microsoft Teams has emerged as a go-to platform for virtual meetings, fostering seamless communication and collaboration among faculty, staff, and students. However, ensuring the security and privacy of these meetings is crucial to prevent unauthorized access and safeguard sensitive information. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to secure Microsoft Teams meetings effectively:

1. Manage Meeting Settings

• Meeting Options: Customize meeting settings before and during meetings. Manage settings such as who can bypass the lobby, who can present, and who can admit participants.

• Meeting Roles: Designate meeting roles to control participant actions. Assign organizers, presenters, and attendees to manage permissions effectively.

2. Control Access and Permissions

• Lock the meeting:  Lock the meeting to prevent subsequent join attempts.

• Meeting IDs, Passcodes, and Links: Avoid sharing meeting IDs publicly or via unsecured channels. Use the 'Generate Meeting Link' feature instead to create unique, one-time links for each meeting.

• Lobby Settings: Utilize the meeting lobby to control access. Decide whether attendees should wait in the lobby until admitted by the host.

• Participant Permissions: Grant specific permissions to participants, restricting their abilities to share screens, unmute, or interact without permission.

3. Implement Authentication and Verification

• Use Authentication Options: Leverage Microsoft's authentication capabilities like Single Sign-On (SSO) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) to verify participant identities.

4. Monitor and Manage Attendees

• Attendance Reports: Review attendance reports to track who attended the meeting. Use this to cross-reference against expected attendees.

• Remove Participants: Have the capability to remove disruptive or unwanted attendees swiftly from the meeting.

5. Secure Screen Sharing and Content

• Presenter Controls: Limit screen sharing to presenters only. This prevents unauthorized individuals from sharing content during the meeting.

• Content Sharing Permissions: Control who can present and share content during the meeting. Restrict it to specific individuals or the host.

6. Keep Software Updated

• Regular Updates: Ensure Microsoft Teams and associated software are updated regularly. Updates often include security patches that address vulnerabilities.

7. Educate Participants

• Security Awareness: Educate faculty, staff, and participants about meeting security protocols and best practices. Emphasize the importance of not sharing meeting details with unauthorized individuals.

• Test Meetings: Encourage the practice of running test meetings to familiarize everyone with the platform's security features and functionalities.

8. Post-Meeting Measures

• Recording Management: If recording meetings, securely store and manage recordings. Limit access to authorized personnel only.

• Meeting Deletion: Delete or archive meetings that are no longer needed to prevent any unauthorized access to old discussions or content.

By implementing these security measures and following the provided support resources, faculty, and staff can enhance the integrity of Microsoft Teams meetings, creating a safer and more productive virtual collaboration environment for everyone involved. Continuously staying updated with security features and educating participants is pivotal in ensuring a secure meeting environment.