Security, Privacy and User Experience, Are they mutually exclusive?

Video Conferencing Security #videoconferencing #security #zoombombing #zoom

It been an interesting couple of weeks. Like many other companies, we sent everyone home almost 4 weeks ago and although we have always been users of Video conferencing, we now live on it like many other companies. The recent many articles regarding conferencing security have certainly been topical. We have run the gamut from "oh my god, there is no security in video conferencing!" to the more recent excellent articles from folks like Rowan Trollope that point out the many security features that Zoom and in fact most video conferencing services provide.

The real question in my mind is not whether video conferencing apps have security, but why don't people use them? I believe the answer is user experience. The most popular video conferencing apps are popular because they are easy to use, they deliver great video and audio quality and they work everywhere. Although they provide security features like waiting rooms and passwords, these degrade the user experience enough that most folks did not even seem to know they existed until breaches and "bombing" happened. People rightfully like the idea of "click to join".

What is needed is not more security features that require more complexity in meeting setup or meeting management but a more natural way of identifying and verifying users before or while they join a meeting. It has to have a great user experience and provide the kind of security demanded and needed by enterprises. Imagine a video medical conference where both the doctor and the patient must verify who they are. More importantly, can you imagine a video conference where they don't???

At the root of all of this is identity. For example, when you visit a doctor in person, they ask for a picture ID and you health card. They verify your identity. Any truly secure meeting requires this. Digital encounters are no different. If identity is verified and a good user experience can be delivered, then we will have been successful. Smart phones are proving that his is achievable.The plethora of bio-metrics available today do precisely this.

https://medium.com/@rowantrollope/beyond-the-noise-7-reasons-its-safe-to-run-zoom-9a2e639b13ec