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Introducing dynamic end-to-end encryption for RingCentral Video

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Video meetings have been nothing short of a lifeline for businesses these past two years. And as many organizations move toward long-term hybrid and remote work arrangements, video meetings aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they’ll continue to be a vital part of how people work.

That’s why video meeting security, and the ability to protect sensitive virtual sessions, is top of mind for businesses. 

We launched end-to-end encryption in 2021, the gold standard for privacy in video meetings. With end-to-end encryption (E2EE), RingCentral customers have a powerful new tool for securing their most sensitive conversations.

Now we’re excited to introduce the next step in our security maturity: dynamic end-to-end encryption.

 

But first, what is end-to-end encryption?

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is just what it sounds like: each “end” of the conversation (for example, the app on your desktop) is an end(point). With end-to-end encryption, all content is encrypted at each endpoint and decrypted at the other participating endpoints.  

With E2EE, data is secured for the entire journey between endpoints or meeting participants. Data is encrypted before it leaves the sender’s device and is transmitted onward by the provider in encrypted form. Data is only decrypted when it reaches the receiver’s device.

So how does E2EE compare to the industry standard point-to-point (P2P) encryption? With P2P encryption, encryption is provided between all points in the path, including endpoints, proxies, and process servers, using protocols such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) and SRTP (Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol) to protect video meeting data as it travels between all points.

P2P encryption allows providers such as RingCentral to provide advanced features such as closed captioning during a meeting through secure access to the audio stream within RingCentral’s backend.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RingCentral Video goes beyond the P2P encryption employed by most video conferencing solutions and provides an extra layer of protection, allowing you to “uplift” the security and confidentiality of your conversations. 

This means businesses can feel confident there’s no chance of eavesdropping or data modification of meeting contents by their service provider, and can feel assured that meeting contents are strictly confidential.

 

What is dynamic E2EE?

Dynamic E2EE (D-E2EE) adds another layer of security to video meetings, giving the host the ability to turn on/off end-to-end encryption at any point in a meeting.

For example, participants can turn on D-E2EE in the middle of a meeting to discuss confidential information and turn off D-E2EE when they’re finished. This gives everyone in the meeting extra assurance that only participants inside can access the information.

Here are some example of when a video meeting might want to switch to E2EE on the spot:

Whether sensitive topics are planned or spontaneous, the ability to toggle D-E2EE gives users the freedom to choose how they approach their privacy. 

 

Why RingCentral’s dynamic E2EE is different

Today’s teams work from anywhere and everywhere. That’s why we stayed true to our philosophy of helping your teams work their way. Here’s what else D-E2EE brings to the table:

1. First to market

RingCentral is the first UCaaS provider to deploy D-E2EE that can be toggled on or off at any point in a meeting.

2. Available on every app

D-E2EE is available on the RingCentral desktop app, mobile app, and browsers (Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge).

3. Available on any device

Use D-E2EE on your PC, phone, or tablet.

4. In any setting

From 1:1 huddles to large conferences, D-E2EE can be used in any meeting, no matter the size.

 

How to use dynamic E2EE in RingCentral Video

Turning on D-E2EE is the same process on every RingCentral app (desktop, mobile, browser):

  1. Select the “More” icon on the bottom left of the meeting panel.
  2. Select the “Turn on End-to-End Encryption” button in the menu.
  3. Select “Turn it on” in the pop-up modal to confirm.

Once D-E2EE is activated, a green shield will appear in the bottom left corner of the meeting panel. When that icon appears, meeting participants can feel confident that everything they say is protected by the highest standard of encryption.

D-E2EE does limit some advanced capabilities, as it restricts RingCentral’s ability to access data. The following capabilities aren’t available when D-E2EE is turned on:

 

Complete privacy when you need it

As more important meetings are held over video, protecting your sensitive data from bad actors is our number one priority. From our robust internal security protocols to giving your users complete privacy when they need it, we give you everything you need to keep your information safe.

Dynamic E2EE is available to all RingCentral MVP users now. Not a user yet? Request a demo of RingCentral.

Originally published Jan 31, 2022, updated Mar 31, 2023

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