5 Most Secure Video Conferencing Software Apps (+Buying Guide)

Without a careful look at what security features your software provides, you could be exposing your systems to a data breach—which could have far-reaching consequences for your business, clients, and partners.

To choose the most secure video conferencing software, you need to know how to recognize a comprehensive security program, understand which features are most important, and know which platforms are the market leaders.

Use our complete guide to choose the right software for your privacy and security needs.

What are the dangers of using insecure video conferencing software?

Using software without secure communication features has the potential to be hugely damaging to your business. A data breach in the form of malware or ransomware attacks could see you incur legal fees, fines, and the cost of compensating affected customers or partners.

Even if the incident doesn't cause tangible harm, a hack or embarrassing incident like Zoombombing can be costly to your brand.

Here are some of the ways poor security from your software provider could affect your business:

• Loss of business due to interruptions of your virtual event
• Operational issues and costs as you resolve a breach
• Financial cost from fines, legal fees, and settlements
• Damage to your reputation as a brand
• The publication of private and sensitive data

What features do the most secure video conferencing software need?

The most secure web conferencing systems use a browser-based platform and have industry-leading security measures.

Secure video conference features to prioritize

Look for a video call platform with these cybersecurity features:

• Authentication protocols such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO)
• Data erasure so you can delete your personal or confidential data at any time
• Data backups for data retrieval in the case of a technical failure
• TLS 1.2 and 1.3 protocols for end-to-end data encryption
• AES256 encryption
• SHA256 with RSA signatures
• Uptime guarantee as part of the service-level agreement
• IDS/IPS to identify malware and protect data
• Accessible Qualys SSL Labs report

What certifications do your secure video conferencing tools need?

Note: certifications are complex in terms of how they’re awarded across different regions. So look for transparency on when compliance milestones are expected.

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• ISO 27001 (Information Security Management)
• SOC 2

Top video conferencing features

The most popular video conferencing and collaboration software also has advanced features for engagement and automation:

Top secure video conferencing features

• Browser-based platform so it’s easy to use with no downloads required
• Digital whiteboard for interactive presentations and group work
• Question upvotes for Q&As and participant engagement
• Polls to get everyone involved in the debate and to gauge opinion
• Multimedia sharing including GIFs, videos, audio, slides, and PDFs
• Breakout rooms for networking, group work, and engaging activities
• Call recordings so the whole team can be involved asynchronously
• Integrations and plugins for adaptable usage
• Data analytics so you can see how responsive attendees are

5 secure video conferencing tools**

Livestorm, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams are all good options for secure web conferencing software. These Zoom alternatives are known for their security measures and privacy features.

1. Livestorm

Livestorm is a secure, high-end video conferencing tool designed for business meetings, remote work, and virtual conferences—including for enterprise use. And since it’s a browser-based platform, it’s incredibly simple to use. All you need is a link to join a video call, meeting, or event.

What are Livestorm's video conferencing security features?

Livestorm offers a private security portal where you can download all your documents and view all the security details of the video engagement platform.

We provide multiple data backups for swift data recovery, and we offer data erasure upon request for added privacy and confidentiality.

Our video communications platform uses MFA and SSO authentication, the latest encryption standards for audio and video, and IDS and IPS for malware prevention and data protection.

Livestorm is GDPR compliant and ISO 27001 certified. You can also access Livestorm’s Qualys SSL Labs report (it has an A+ rating).

Other key features

As the best video engagement platform in the video conferencing market, Livestorm has a wide range of automation and engagement features and collaboration tools, including:

• Live polls
• Question upvotes
• Breakout rooms
• Emoji reactions
• Miro virtual whiteboard
• Multimedia sharing
• Unlimited online meeting recordings and replays
• Engagement tracking

In addition, Livestorm is hugely versatile. It's suitable for a variety of remote and hybrid work use cases, including 1:1 meetings, professional training and onboarding, webinars, large-scale virtual events, and hybrid learning.

Pricing

Livestorm has a free version of our video conferencing platform that includes all security, engagement, and automation features. The Pro plan starts at $79/month, billed annually.

2. Google Meet

What are Google Meet's video conferencing security features?

Like Livestorm, Google Meet offers robust security measures such as MFA and SSO authentication, two-step verification, a transparent security program, malware prevention, and data protection.

Google Meet is regulatory compliant, with third-party certifications including ISO 27001 and SOC 2.

Other key features

Google Meet is part of Google Workspace, so it integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar and other Google apps.

While Google Meet doesn’t offer all the in-room engagement features that Livestorm does, it has a webinar chat panel that’s useful for sharing links as well as a digital whiteboard.

Google Meet is geared towards small video meetings and not really equipped for webinars, large training sessions, or big video conferences. Compared to Livestorm, Google Meet lacks promotion and organization features. So it's better for small teams with simple video conferencing requirements.

Pricing

Google Workspace’s most popular plan is Business Standard, which is $12/month per user.

3. Microsoft Teams

What are Microsoft Team's video conferencing security features?

As with Livestorm and Google Meet, Microsoft Teams is a highly secure platform with secure messaging, SSO authentication, data encryption at rest and in transit, and third-party security certificates, including ISO 27001.

Other key features

Teams integrates fully with Microsoft 365 tools, Outlook, Word, and Excel. So it’s a good choice for businesses that already use the Microsoft operating system and need to streamline their tech stack.

Microsoft's most popular plan is Microsoft Teams Essentials, which starts at $4/month per user, paid yearly. However, you'd need to upgrade to Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50/month per user) for access to tools beyond Teams.

Pricing

Microsoft 365 Business Standard is $12.50/month per user. If you're wondering how Livestorm stacks up vs Microsoft Teams, we've got your answer.

4. Cisco Webex

What are Webex’s video conferencing security features?

Webex offers built-in compliance tools like Extended Security Pack (ESP) with MFA, data encryption, and data loss prevention. It's also ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified.

Other key features

Webex integrates with all Cisco hardware, and you can dial into a web conference call from a Cisco phone. So it’s ideal for large enterprises that already use Cisco.

As a video conferencing tool, it’s functional but basic, with features like messages, whiteboards, and screen sharing but limited engagement and personalization options. If you’re hosting webinars or more interactive video conferences, you’ll want a platform like Livestorm that has a wider array of features.

Pricing

Webex offers a free video call plan that’s limited to one user. Business pricing starts at $12/month per user, billed annually. Custom Enterprise plans are available for larger teams.

5. Adobe Connect

What are Adobe Connect’s video conferencing security features?

Similar to Livestorm, Adobe Connect is a secure web conferencing platform with SSO, TLS and AES-256 encryption. It has various compliance certifications like FedRAM, GLBA ready, SOC 2-Type 2 and ISO 27001:2013.

Other key features

Adobe Connect lets you personalize meeting layouts or choose from its pre-built templates. It has all the basic features of a high-quality video conferencing tool like screen and file sharing, group chat, whiteboards and breakout rooms. However, it doesn’t have its own dial-in service like Webex and therefore requires more third-party integrations.

Adobe Connect includes functionality for mobile devices that allows presenters to add a mini display window within the larger meeting window. It’s ideal for remote lectures, webinars, and collaboration sessions.

Pricing

Adobe Connect pricing starts at $190/year per host. If you need to onboard more than five hosts, you'd have to upgrade to the Premium plan at $290/year per host.

What are the security questions to ask your video conferencing service provider?

When comparing video call platforms, keep these following considerations in mind to ensure a secure video conferencing experience.

Does the platform have a transparent security program?

The quickest and easiest way to assess video conferencing software security is to look at the platform’s security program.

For a good example, you can easily look into Livestorm’s security program via its security portal, which offers a highly accessible overview of certifications, access control, data security, and other key areas of security practice and compliance.

Does it have cyber insurance and is business continuity guaranteed?

As well as protecting your provider against the associated costs of a cyber attack, cyber insurance helps ensure a fast response time to any issues.

This also plays a role in business continuity, which should be covered in your service-level agreement.

For example, within Livestorm’s security portal, you can see legal coverage, protections, and guarantee of product uptime in the case of a security event.

Is data fully encrypted?

Data encryption is a basic requirement and should be built in to any software service. In the case of video conferencing software, Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption should be used for voice and video data.

Does it reflect essential cloud security principles?

For greater depth on what areas of security to consider when reviewing security features and specifications, here are some of the key principles in cloud security transparency, as recommended by the Cloud Security Alliance:

• Application and interface security
• Data security and privacy lifecycle management
• Identity and access management
• Threat and vulnerability management
• Interoperability and portability

6 Tips for secure video conferencing

Here's our checklist to start using secure video conferencing:

1. Write a video conferencing policy

A video conferencing policy includes guidelines on usage, protocols for acceptable behavior, access control, data security, and if the platform you use is ISO compliant. You should aim to create a collaborative space that protects team members’ privacy. If you’re using Livestorm, you can mention that it’s ISO 27001 certified and has a secure management system.

2. Enable two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication requires two types of credentials for access. It combines a password, PIN or biometric information, and a token or code sent to the user’s device via SMS or in-app notifications. This ensures that only authorized individuals can access the meeting and keeps your meetings.

3. Use AES encryption

AES encryption is an industry standard for securely sending data over the internet. It scrambles data before it’s transmitted, making it unreadable by anyone without the decryption key, which is the password or secret key to access that file. AES encryption in video conferencing ensures no one can listen in or disrupt your confidential sessions.

4. Ask permission to record

Consent is key when recording video conferences — even if it’s for internal use. Consider informing all participants that the session is being recorded and asking them to agree to the terms before you start. This ensures participants don't feel uncomfortable or violated and protects your company from potential legal issues.

5. Protect privacy with virtual backgrounds

Virtual backgrounds allow you to cover up sensitive information like home addresses, your current location, or personal details if they appear in the background. Try a video conferencing solution like Livestorm that has a virtual background library with different images to suit your needs (or lets you upload your own).

6. Keep software up to date

Older software versions can be vulnerable to security threats because they may not have the latest patches and updates applied. Regularly updating your video conferencing software can protect you from potential malware, viruses, and other cyber threats. Most systems update automatically, but you should always double-check to ensure you have the latest version.

How to choose secure video conferencing software for your business?

With so many concerns related to choosing the best video conferencing software solution for your team, it’s easy to overlook one of the most important aspects: security.

But with our checklist and list of top video call tools, you can feel confident about selecting and using a secure video conferencing platform.

Ready to see how Livestorm works for your team? Sign up for a free Livestorm account and schedule your first video call in minutes.

Frequently asked questions about secure video conferencing

What is end-to-end encryption for video conferencing?

Video and audio end-to-end encryption are essential for video conferencing security, which is why Livestorm uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) to keep all your data safe.

What’s the most secure video conferencing app?

The three most secure video conferencing platforms are:

• Livestorm — best for small and large-scale webinars, internal meetings, live events, and product demos
• Google Teams — best for small teams with simple needs
• Microsoft Teams — best for business using Microsoft tools, like Outlook

What best practices for secure video conferencing?

The safest way to ensure secure video conferencing is to use a platform with a robust and transparent security program. Once you’re using secure software for your virtual meetings and events, don’t share your meeting links with anyone unnecessarily. You can also set up a waiting room so you have additional control over access to your video conferencing software.

What is a safer alternative to Zoom?

A safer alternative to Zoom is another video conferencing tool like Livestorm, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. These platforms offer robust security features such as SSO authentication and data encryption and have ISO certifications.

Is Google Meet or Zoom more secure?

Google Meet and Zoom are secure video conferencing platforms with robust security features. But Google Meet is more secure as it uses secured RPC (remote procedure call) during live meetings and generates an encryption key for each person and meeting individually.