One of them is used by Snowden .. Security experts recommend these applications after Zoom's failure

With the sudden surge in the popularity of its services in the recent period, Zoom, the owner of the video meeting application, faced increased scrutiny by cybersecurity experts on safety and privacy measures, which resulted in the discovery of important gaps in the application.

Company president Eric Yuan said that Zoom had not designed its product so that a large portion of the world's population would suddenly work from home.

"Zoombombing" has recently become the company's biggest problem, as hackers break into publicly available video conferences and share inappropriate or unwanted images.

Users are looking for alternatives, so we offer a set of alternatives that, according to cyber security experts, are better than Zoom:

Google Hangout
Hangout is a clear competitor to Zoom's service, according to Nick McWire, Vice President of Enterprise Research at CCS Insight.

"The application relies heavily on security features, and Google has made huge investments in its cloud infrastructure," said MacWire.

The service was originally a feature of Google Plus, and first launched in 2013, before it focused more on corporate and meeting service in 2017.

In June of this year, Google plans to divide the product into two parts: the first called Google Hangouts Meet, which will continue as a video conferencing platform, and the second, Google Hangouts Chat, a service Instant messaging.

Thomas Corian, chief executive of Google Cloud, says the number who use Hang Out now is 25 times that of last January.

Microsoft Teams (Micrososft Teams)
According to Camilla Winlo, director of privacy counseling for DQM GRC, which specializes in security consulting, there are no ideal video conferencing providers at this time.

But she sees "that Microsoft Teams (or" Microsoft teams ") takes privacy very seriously in its design, and is also better for organizations."

In 2017, Microsoft announced that it would gradually phase out Skype for Business for Thames, the new cloud-based platform.

Last month, as the Corona pandemic continued to worsen, the company announced that the number of Thames users reached a new record, amounting to 44 million a day.

To ensure security, Microsoft says the software's video system uses two-factor authentication and encrypted data.

"Whichever option you choose for video conferencing software, you should make sure to do a good research to understand how to use it in a compatible and safe way," said Winlow.

Starleaf
Starleaf Founded in 2008, Starleaf is a video conferencing company based in London, and described from some of the specialized technology sites as "the largest video call service you have not heard of before", and is primarily designed for large companies.

Although the company does not offer a price on its website (rather you should contact a sales representative), Starlife currently provides basic video and messaging services for free due to the Corona pandemic.

Last year, the company obtained ISO 27001 certification by the International Organization for Standardization and Standards and the International Electrotechnical Commission, in recognition of its “global” security standards.

Signal
Promon Cybersecurity CEO Tom Lyseimos Hansen recommended the application of Signal encrypted messaging, which is known for adopting data privacy.

Signal is known for its messaging service, but it has an option to make a video call to multiple users.

"For customers who are concerned with security, they should look beyond the underlying features and compare the provider with policies and practices," says Nick McCoyer. "There is a huge difference in the level of transparency between sellers who take privacy seriously versus those who only talk about this problem."

Signal's reputation for security is very strong. Fast Company previously advised readers that "it should be the primary messaging app of your choice," while Edward Snowden says he uses it every day.

Snowden is a former contractor with the National Security Agency, and currently lives in Russia because he is wanted for arrest in the United States, after leaking sensitive information about the agency's global monitoring program.

Symphony
Although not a video conferencing app, the Symphony instant messaging service is powered by David Gurley, former general manager of Skype for Business.

Symphony was launched in 2014 after a $ 66 million investment round, led by Goldman Sach and GB Morgan. Symphony provides encrypted chat services to teams of all sizes.

Major financial institutions and others are among Symphony's clients, due to their focus on the highest safety standards, allowing them to share sensitive trading data online.

After it brought in huge investments worth $ 165 million in June, the company was valued at $ 1.4 billion.

Senior executives say the company has seen a 40% increase in messaging usage since last January, with a 500% jump in attachments being sent across the company's platform.