Microsoft Teams has just dealt a massive blow to any competitors, such as Zoom, with the launch of multiple new security features, including a game-changing security feature it was previously missing.
Microsoft has innovated its Teams platform once again with the launch of end-to-end encryption. Zoom had previously launched this feature on its own video conferencing service last year and until now, had been able to use it as a unique selling point, in order to sway customers to Zoom, rather than the Microsoft alternative.
Now, after the mists of the pandemic, Microsoft has confirmed it will launch end-to-end encryption at its Ignite conference as it looks to steal users from its competitors as people continue to remotely work from home after the events of the pandemic.
In the first release, Teams customers will have the ability to enable end-to-end encryption (meaning no one can access video chats, including Microsoft, and law enforcement) for one on one Teams calls for users. Microsoft says this is only “the beginning of the E2EE work to expand to online meetings soon.”
Microsoft Teams end-to-end encryption
The Microsoft Teams Desktop will be the first application to support using end-to-end encryption for 1 on 1 Teams calls. Support will be extended later to more platforms.
Security nearly always comes at the expense of some functionality, and in the case of Teams end-to-end encryption, this is also true. Some features won’t be available when making a 1:1 end-to-end encrypted call, call recording, live captions and transcription, call transfer, call merge, call companion and transfer to another device, adding a participant, compliance recording, or file share all won’t be capable at this moment in time while in a end-to-end encrypted 1 on 1 call.
What are other new or upcoming features?
Some include:
- Invite-only meetings controls – to help host online meetings safely, and avoid uninvited guests in your meetings.
- Disable video capabilities – to avoid distractions either during large meetings where people may not realise their video is on.
- Multi-geo support – allowing more control over the location of specific data centres.
- Shared channels in Teams – enables channels to be shared across multiple organisations so collaboration can be secure.
- Sensitivity labels – to protect and encrypt a document to restrict access to that content to only authorised viewers.
- Safe Links—a feature that provides scanning and time-of-click verification of URLs.
